“Chinese Rural Society and Revolution:The Historical Transformation of Villages in Jinggangshan” (Keio University Shuppankai, 2009)

Zheng Haolan (Ferris University, Faculty of Global and Inter-cultural Studies,Associate professor)

It is my great honor to receive the prestigious Masayoshi Ohira Memorial Prize. First of all, I want to thank the Memorial Foundation and the Selection Committee.
It has been 10 years since I first came to Japan. During the past 10 years China has made extraordinary achievement in economic growth; the period also witnessed the emergence of various social problems. In rural China the living standards of peasants have improved substantially. However, the problems of farmland requisition and income gap appeared, leading to the growing public concerns over agriculture, villages and peasants. To attribute these problems solely to the influences of market economy is not convincing, neither is it persuasive to reject the influences of the revolution and to consider today’s rural China returning to the pre-1949 era. After turbulent revolutionary movements and market penetration, what exactly has changed and what exactly has not changed in rural China? Moreover, what has been the legacy of the revolution? This book takes a close look at these vital questions.

Three major issues have been highlighted in my book. First, moving beyond the dichotomy of private and public, it shows that the public sphere of rural China is characterized by distinctive forms of private-based ‘common relations’. Second, the book puts emphasis on rural society rather than state policies in order to investigate how social characteristics have mediated and contextualized socialist revolution. Third, the book not just examines the past of rural China but explores the connection between history and present, arguing that social characteristics will be a key factor for the future political development of rural China.

My research would have been impossible without the kind help of so many people. In particular, the guidance of my supervisor, Prof. Tomoyuki Kojima, has been indispensable. Here, I would like to express my gratitude to Prof. Kojima and to all those who have offered me their generous support. Receiving the Ohira Memorial Prize is such an honor; I will continue to challenge new research topics and work even harder in my future projects.

Profile
1994-1998 Department of International Politics, Fudan University
1998-2001 Master course, School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University
2002-2006 Doctoral course, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University
2004-2007 Part-time Lecturer, Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University
2006-2007 Part-time Lecturer, Faculty of Business and Commerce, Keio University
2007-2009 Visiting Lecturer, Faculty of Policy Management, Keio University
2009-present Associate Professor, Faculty of Global and Inter-Cultural Studies, Ferris University