The Underworld of Rural China: Research on Rural Gangs on China's Jianghan Plain and Dongting Lake Plain

This book explores the rural underworld in China and proposes new concepts to describe social changes, comparing it to the acquaintance society. It reveals that rural China has changed in nature due to gang influence, leading to "rural governance involution" and "the estrangement of acquaintances." It provides a comprehensive scientific conceptual system to explain social reality.

Format: Hardback
Length: 287 pages
Publication date: 21 February 2023
Publisher: Springer Verlag, Singapore

This book aims to provide readers with a deeper understanding of rural China through the unique perspective of the rural underworld. It proposes innovative concepts to describe the social changes in rural China by comparing the contemporary rural society with the acquaintance society, the classic model for depicting traditional Chinese society. Through their extensive fieldwork, the authors have uncovered that rural China has undergone a significant transformation, characterized by a pervasive gang influence. This change can be summed up as "the estrangement of acquaintances" or "moral ambiguity." As a result of the illegal activities of rural gangsters, who exploit national resources for personal gain, rural China is experiencing a "rural governance involution." In essence, this book seeks to develop new models and concepts to establish a comprehensive scientific conceptual system for explaining social reality. It presents hard-to-come-by information and a thoughtful and multifaceted analysis on a neglected topic, gradually revealing the true picture of rural China to readers.

This book aims to provide readers with a deeper understanding of rural China through the unique perspective of the rural underworld. It proposes innovative concepts to describe the social changes in rural China by comparing the contemporary rural society with the acquaintance society, the classic model for depicting traditional Chinese society. Through their extensive fieldwork, the authors have uncovered that rural China has undergone a significant transformation, characterized by a pervasive gang influence. This change can be summed up as "the estrangement of acquaintances" or "moral ambiguity." As a result of the illegal activities of rural gangsters, who exploit national resources for personal gain, rural China is experiencing a "rural governance involution." In essence, this book seeks to develop new models and concepts to establish a comprehensive scientific conceptual system for explaining social reality. It presents hard-to-come-by information and a thoughtful and multifaceted analysis on a neglected topic, gradually revealing the true picture of rural China to readers.

Weight: 635g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789811987090
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023