Research Seminar – Rural Shareholding Cooperatives in Southern China

Topic:

Rural Shareholding Cooperatives in Southern China

Speaker:

Mr. Samson Zhuojun Liu

PhD Candidates

Department of Urban Planning and Design

The University of Hong Kong

Schedule:

Date: 12 November, 2013 (Tuesday)

Time: 12:45 – 2:00 pm

Venue: Room 829, 8/F Knowles Building, HKU

Abstract:

China’s economic reform does not only lead to a rapid growth of cities, but also a dramatic transformation of villages. To fulfill the demand for land and other resources, the state expropriates rural land and the villagers attached to the land are turned into urban residents. Villagers’ committee, the governing body of the village, is also restructured in response to urbanization. For a long time, villagers and villagers’ committee are deemed to be in a weaker position, suffering from the exploitation by the state and a lack of sufficient social welfare. The literature has suggested that the development of modern cities will result in the demise of peasantry and rural community. Is this true in Southern China?

As a set of new institutional arrangements, rural shareholding cooperative (RSC) was created in the 1980s that appeared to have reassembled the power and interests of individual farmers and restored the importance of collective actions in the countryside. Using Guangzhou as a case study, this research attempts to find out what role RSC plays in China’s urbanization. To achieve this goal, qualitative data was obtained from interviews with government officials, rural cadres and villagers, and from fieldworks conducted in representative towns and villages. Quantitative data was collected from local government departments to illustrate the “big picture” of local rural development and shareholding reform. Research questions about three aspects of rural development are addressed: a) How does RSC influence the governance of rural collectives and what are the differences between the old and new roles played by the villagers, cadres and local state? b) How does RSC transform land development projects and rural land use planning? c) How does public goods provision adjust under RSC system? Answering these questions will provide insights into the current institutional changes in Chinese villages and enhance understanding of the controversial role of collectivization in contemporary China from a different perspective.

About the Speaker:

Mr. Samson Liu is a PhD student at the Department of Urban Planning and Design. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Urban Planning from Sun Yat-Sen University. His research interests include rural institutional change and rural planning in China.

~~ ALL INTERESTED ARE WELCOME ~~

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