Interpretations of the Nationalist Revolution in modern
Chinese history, especially the so-called “Nanjing decade”
(1927-1937) are dominated by theoretical notions which see
the state as autonomous in its relationship to society.
This autonomous state model, the dissertation argues, finds
its roots in the voluntaristic ideas of Talcott Parsons.
Arguments based on Parsons’s ideas view the Nationalist
Revolution as abortive.
The dissertation rejects these views and develops an
alternative perspective based on the construction of a
quasi-market model of social relations. The theoretical
underpinnings, in contrast to Parsons’s ideas, are termed
“de-voluntaristic.” These arguments suggest that
individuals participate in, and have influence on, the
operation of the state.
The application of a quasi-market model suggests that
there was a major transformation in Chinese society during
the Nationalist period. The dissertation argues that the
Nationalist Government after 1927 did not continue to
achieve the initial objectives of the Nationalist Revolution
which, it is suggested, aimed to build a quasi-market
society. The revolution, however, was not abortive. It
transformed the political system.
In the Imperial tradition of government, local elites
protected local communities against state encroachment
through their involvement in property management. After
1927, the Nanjing Government adopted a “free market”
approach to political affairs, and centralized the use of
military and legal power to protect property against labour
and the peasants.
Peasant demands for rights to the land they tilled, a
key element in Sun Yat-sen’s programme for the revolution,
questioned the brokerage market economy, in which local
elites acted as the intermediaries of contractual partners.
Workers, in the context of industrialization, and with
support from Communist organizers, attempted to improve
working conditions. Peasants and workers contested the
power of active elites that grew in the new political order
established by. the Nationalist Government. The Nationalist
State abandoned the traditional role of the Chinese state to
protect the well-being of society. Deeply influenced by new
elites, it protected capital accumulation and safeguarded
the sanctity of contracts.
The Nationalist Revolution ultimately failed as it was
unable to resist the invasions of the Japanese, or the
alternative social formulations of the Communist movement. / Arts, Faculty of / Anthropology, Department of / Graduate
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UBC/oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/6861 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Lanyan, Chen |
| Source Sets | University of British Columbia |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis/Dissertation |
| Format | 5411810 bytes, application/pdf |
| Rights | For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use. |
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