3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

Rural China is experiencing profound socioeconomic and political transformations during four decades of reform. When millions of rural migrants leave their hometown to work in factories, the countryside is simultaneously being remade by the expansion of cities and state policies that seek to revolutionize Chinese agriculture. These ongoing and uncertain dynamics reshape social relations, conflicts, and tensions among state, peasants, and capital in the rural social space. This course examines the historical origins, uncertain processes, and profound social consequences of these major changes that are taking place in post-reform rural China. The course is organized around 4 modules. In each of them, students will first read about key concepts and theoretical frameworks, such as socialist primitive accumulation, collective action, social reproduction, and peasant moral economy. They will then use these analytical tools to critically engage with the more empirically grounded research on China’s agrarian transformation. While the course primarily focuses on China, students will have opportunities to conduct research on other parts of the world, which will provide useful, comparative viewpoints.