Study on the policy of Rural Land Transfer in China:

Transcription

1 Study on the policy of Rural Land Transfer in China: A Neo-Gramscian analysis Kassel university GPE Aixiaoduo The aim of my research With the rapid economic growth in China, the rural population of Chinese alone amounted to 94 million people, compared to 728 million people of the entire Europe.(Chinese government report 21) For most rural population of Chinese, land is the physical base of social and economic development of rural labor, playing an increasingly important role in balancing urban-rural development. Land is the most fundamental key element of production in agriculture and conditions on which persons or things rely for existence. However, in the real process of rural land transfer, land becomes a strategy of local government to achieve and maintain their hegemony. Farmers willingness is less consideration when the decision of rural land transfer or the circulation mode is made. My aim is that applying Gramsci s hegemony as helpful eyeglasses to see clearly that the role of Chinese government in the policy of rural land transfer. As well as my survey will choose farmers in Jianbei District of Chongqing Municipality. Questions on my topic Farmers willingness in the policy of rural land transfer The role of government of in the policy of rural land transfer What kind of structures and alliances building up by local government within the policy of rural land transfer? Further theory analysis According to the Gramscian(Simon 1982:21), Gramsci evokes the mythical Greek centaur, half animal and half human, as a symbol of the dual perspective in political action-the levels of force and consent, authority and hegemony, violence and civilization. Gramsci also argued that a class which is advancing towards hegemony in civil society must also achieve leadership in the sphere of production.(simon 1982:26) Land transfer policy as a kind of political action also has dual perspective, as well as land as a limited resource plays an important role in the process of production. Actually, the transformation of rural land transfer policy set by Chinese government is a process of hegemony of its main interest group. Gramsci s concept of hegemony gives me helpful eyeglasses to see clearly that the role of Chinese government in the policy of rural land transfer.

2 According to Simon, hegemony can never be taken for granted, but has to be continually fought for afresh.(simon 1982:37) He also said that even when a social group has become dominant and holds power firmly in its grasp, it must continue to lead as well. The maintenance of hegemony is also a crucial concept for a social group. Basing on this concept, it could explain China s present land policy. In the old times( ), the Chinese workers and peasants under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party combined the national struggle against the Japanese with social revolution, and the Chinese Communist Party just uses land policy to formulate national-popular so as to become dominant group. However, in modern times, the land policy transforms from old land policy into the rural land transfer set by Chinese government is a process of the maintenance of hegemony of its main interest group. More specially, according to Robert. W.Cox s analysis of three pills (material capability, institutions and ideas) to maintain hegemony could provide me a helpful way to analysis why a small group of elite could control subordinate farmers. These three factors could also explain why the rural economic collective organization in each village were controlled by local government (the factor of institutions could explain this), and it also could clearly analyze why the farmers willingness on land transfer was influenced by the rural economic collective organization (the factor of ideas could explain this). Methodology The qualitative research with context analysis and interviews. This study selects Chongqing Province in China as the case study. The province of Chongqing has to implement the policies of the land conversion project in China, and Chongqing has been regarded as an extension of the land use model of economic development brought about by the recent reform. Chongqing has converted.113 million hectares land, comparing with million hectares of whole cultivatable land (Chongqing Statistical Yearbook 21). My thesis will be based on archival research on policy of rural land transfer, and reports, documents are the main sources. For my mainly question which is the farmers willingness in the policy of rural land transfer, it will be based on my survey of 112 farmers in Jianbei District of Chongqing Municipality. Unlikely, Results Delivered questionnaires to 15 farmers in two villages, and received 112 answers. The satisfaction rate is 74.6%. Survey method: In my study, the typical investigation was used in the field survey to analyze farmers willingness of rural land transfer and the factors that influenced it. Furthermore, based on the analysis of the willingness of rural land transfer and satisfaction with the situation of rural land transfer of the two comparative group of farmers the comparative group and the normal group, the local government role in rural land transfer was also discussed.

3 The comparative group is the village which had successful transferred their land through the own rural economic collective organization. As well as the normal group is the village which didn t successful transfer their land? The following part will shortly summary the research result. Questions Choices of answers Proportion of the farmers (%) 1.Do you know the reasons on government implemented land transfer? 2.Which is best way on land transfer in your personal idea? Known Unknown The rural economic collective organizations Local government The intermediary Directly transfer to land transferee It doesn t work It works Nothing Not enough General Pretty well Whether the intermediary could protect 5 your right to transfer land? 5 4.Whether the policy of 23 rural land transfer could 23 protect your right and 46 consider your benefits? 8 Table 1:The willingness of farmland transfer of normal groups Questions Choices of answers Proportion of the farmers (%) 1.Do you know the reasons on government implemented land transfer? Known Unknown Which is best way on land transfer in your personal idea? The rural economic collective organizations Local government The intermediary Directly transfer to land transferee It doesn t work It works 3. Whether the intermediary could protect your right to transfer land? Whether the policy of Not at all

4 rural land transfer could protect your right and consider your benefits? Not enough General Pretty well Table 2: The willingness of farmland transfer of comparative groups Based on the analysis of the willingness of land transfer and satisfaction with the situation of land transfer of the two comparative group of farmers, the results of the survey showed that farmers willingness of farmland transfer was very strong both in the village of two group. Whether in the village where large-scale farmland transfer had occurred or in the village where small-scale land transfer had occurred, farmers had little knowledge about land transfer, such as the reasons, value, and mode of land transfer. The local government still pays much attention to land transfer, and intervening in it too much. Schedule of activities on investigation 1 st and 2 nd week of April Research carried out personally to the framers and listen to farmers opinion on rural land policy (one comparative group) 3 rd and 4 th week of April Research carried out personally to the framers and listen to farmers opinion on rural land policy (one normal group) 1 st and 2 nd week of May Go to local government and get the related regulations on rural land transfer 3 rd and 4 th week of May Design the questionnaires on topic 1 st,2 nd and 3 rd week of June Distributing questionnaires to the farmers of Chonqing 4 th week of June Farmers review 1 st and 2 nd week of July Logging data in Excel Table and analysis the result 3 rd and 4 th week of July Revision data Positive and negative experiences during the research Negative experiences The local government and the rural economic collective organizations didn t actively receive my questionnaires. Most times, they always hold an unconcerned attitude. As my survey on farmers willingness on rural land transfer, it needs the face to face talking. However, most farmers just stay at in the evening, so my step on interview is very slowly. Meanwhile, most farmers in my case, they hold a negative attitude to my questionnaires, even they said that there is no change on their benefits through my questionnaires. The regulations on rural land transfer in Chongqing as a public policy, it should be opened. However, Local government didn t provide these regulations to me. Positive experiences The way of collecting the real data is very important to my research, especially in

5 rural areas of China. Therefore, I use the indirect way to ask my question. At the beginning of my questionnaires, I always ask some comfortable questions rather than the poignant questions. This way could collect some real ideas of farmers willingness.