This study focuses upon governance and social organisation within the Chinese village and explores the extent to which farmers have autonomy vis-à-vis their economic and political activities in an attempt to understand the relationship between farmers and the state in a rapidly changing China.

"This is an important study documenting the dramatic and unpredictable changes that have made and remade a village in Anhui. He Hongguang has uncovered a wealth of detail to reveal the key aspects of political, social, economic and spatial transformation. Anyone interested in the complexities of rural China should read this book." David Bray, University of Sydney, Australia

"Dr He's study of rural China is an original and innovative contribution to the study of space and governance in a village setting. The study builds upon the pioneering application of Michel Foucault's concept of governmentality and in so doing broadens our horizons as to how governmentality is playing out in specific non-Western contexts. Those interested in better understanding social change in a rapidly changing China will find the detailed empirical study and application of theory in this book a welcome addition to the field." - Gary Sigley, University of Western Australia

"Hongguang He extends Foucault's ideas to the study of rural China. The result is a deeply analytical work that narrates the nature as well as causes and consequences of social transformation on multiple levels. A distinctive contribution to Chinese Studies and, more broadly, rural sociology." - Eddy U, University of California Davis, USA

Autorentext
Hongguang He is Jiangsu Specially Appointed Professor and Director of the Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis at Nanjing Audit University, China. Dr He serves as a Consultant for the World Bank in a project entitled 'Enhance Internal Control Capacity in Lao PDR'. With two PhDs, from Nanjing University (20052008) and the University of Sydney (20082012), Dr He's work focuses on the study of the spatialisation of the Chinese Communist Party-led government and the integration of urban and rural development in developing countries.

Inhalt
Introduction 1. Land Reform and its Implications 2. Collectivisation and Village Reconstruction 3. Village Reform and its Aftermath 4. Cooperation, Industrialisation and Power Relations 5. Village Spatial Order and its Implications for Cooperation Conclusion