Entrepreneurs as social actors: Privatization and social change in China and Vietnam

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China, the European Union and the United States of America: Partners or competitors?

This working paper brings together assessments of the trilateral relations between China, the EU und the US from the disciplines of political science and economics. The first paper primarily addresses the following three issues: a) China's current development and prospects b) EU-China relations, and c) recommendations in terms of EU policies towards China. The second paper applies a three tier analysis looking first at changes in the Chinese and global economic setting caused by China's WTO accession. It then takes a look at the bilateral economic relations between China and the EU and US respectively. Finally the scored goals and competing interests of the USA and the EU vis-à-vis China are analysed. --EU-US-China relations,China's domestic development,EU policies,China's external economic relations,China's WTO accession,structural change,World economy

Ethnic entrepreneurs as agents of social change: Entrepreneurs, clans, social obligations and ethnic resources: the case of the Liangshan Yi in Sichuan

The following contribution is concerned with the entrepreneurship among on of the major ethnic minorities. It goes into the effects of Yi entrepreneurship on the social structures of Yi society, particularly the clans and their changing role and function. We adress central components of social resources of Yi entrepreneurs, for instance ethnic resources; moral obligations of entrepreneurs towards their clan or lineage; social impacts in the form of entrepreneurs becoming clan or lineage headmen; the growing significance of non-kinship relations, and processes of individualization. We conclude that entrepreneurs on the one side are still embedded in a framework of social morality and social and ethnic obligations, yet, on the other side, impact upon the change of the social structure of Yi society. --

Strategische Gruppen und Staatskapazität: Das Beispiel der Privatunternehmer in China

Der Aufsatz erläutert zunächst den Begriff der 'strategischen Gruppen', sodann deren Interessenlagen, ehe er auf die transformatorischen und strategischen Potenziale eingeht. Schließlich wird erörtert, in welcher Weise Unternehmer Staatskapazität beeinflussen. Dabei geht es nicht darum zu zeigen, wie die Reformen Staatskapazität verändern, sondern wie eine Akteursgruppe (Privatunternehmer) zu diesem Veränderungsprozess beiträgt. Ohne ein Verständnis von der Rolle sozialer Akteure für den Wandel von Staatskapazität muss auch der Wandel des Staates letztlich unklar bleiben. Die zu verifizierende Untersuchungsthese lautet also, dass die strategische(n) Gruppe(n) der Privatunternehmer in signifikantem Maße zur Veränderung staatlicher Strukturen und Kapazität beiträgt bzw. beitragen. Die Strategie der Unternehmer ist dabei interessengeleitet in dem Sinne, dass sie im Interesse der Realisierung ihrer Erwartungen agieren, ohne dass dadurch das politische System grundsätzlich in Frage gestellt oder geschwächt werden muss. In diesem Sinne trägt die Unternehmerschaft dazu bei, Staatskapazität einerseits zu stärken, sie andererseits aber in eine bestimmte Richtung zu lenken. Dabei wird zunächst die Frage der Zielsetzungen und des transformatorischen Potenzials der strategischen Gruppe(n) Unternehmer untersucht, ehe Rückschlüsse auf die Bedeutung des Agierens der Unternehmer im Hinblick auf Staatskapazität gezogen werden.This paper at first addresses the concept of strategic groups and the interests of those groups. Hereafter, it will identify their transformational and strategic potentials. Finally, it will discuss in which manner entrepreneurs impact upon state capacity. Its concern is not the question how reforms alter state capacity, but rather in which way one group of actors (in this case private entrepreneurs) contributes to this process of change. Unless we do understand the role of social actors in terms of changing state capacity, we will not be able to sketch out in which manner the state is changing. The hypothesis that will have to be verified is whether or not the strategic groups of entrepreneurs contribute significantly to the alteration of the structures and capacity of the state. The entrepreneurs' strategy is interest-led as they act in the interest of realizing their expectations. This does not mean that thus the political system is fundamentally put into question or weakened. Furthermore, entrepreneurs on the one hand contribute to the reinforcement of state capacity, on the other hand they make efforts to steer it in a certain direction. Before drawing any conclusion on entrepreneurs impact on state capacity the paper will examine the goals and the transformational potential of the strategic groups of entrepreneurs

Falungong - Religion, Sekte oder Kult? Eine Heilsgmeinschaft als Manifestation von Modernisierungsproblemen und sozialen Entfremdungsprozessen

This paper discusses the ideological contents, and the social background of Falungong, a sect suppressed and persecuted by the Chinese state since several years. It focuses not on violations of human rights and torture of sect members, but tries to identify the character and features of Falungong. Therefore, it particularly analyses the teachings of Li Hongzhi, its founder and master. Moreover, sects like Falungong and their suppression have to be comprehended from a historical perspective that suppressed religion and religious movements in the case that they challenged the state. The problems that arose during the processes of modernization and social change and the reaction from parts of the population (e.g. religious revival) have to be understand in the context of developments in recent years

Ethnic entrepreneurs as agents of social change: Entrepreneurs, clans, social obligations and ethnic resources: the case of the Liangshan Yi in Sichuan

The following contribution is concerned with the entrepreneurship among on of the major ethnic minorities. It goes into the effects of Yi entrepreneurship on the social structures of Yi society, particularly the clans and their changing role and function. We adress central components of social resources of Yi entrepreneurs, for instance ethnic resources; moral obligations of entrepreneurs towards their clan or lineage; social impacts in the form of entrepreneurs becoming clan or lineage headmen; the growing significance of non-kinship relations, and processes of individualization. We conclude that entrepreneurs on the one side are still embedded in a framework of social morality and social and ethnic obligations, yet, on the other side, impact upon the change of the social structure of Yi society

Reflections on the concept of representation and its application to China

This paper presents both a literature review on the issue of political representation and the preliminary framework of a sub-project on new political claims of representation in China. It is primarily concerned with portraying and typing diverse schools of thought in both a "Western" and a Chinese context, while the sub-project is part of the French-German Joint Cooperation Project "New Political Representative Claims: A Global View: France, Germany, Brazil, China, India". The paper is organized as follows: (1) The concept of representation is examined by a brief review of the history of this concept, including the existence of two diverging strands of representation in "Western" discourses. (2) We then examine the meanings of representation, its definitions, and its peculiarities. Points (1) and (2) in particular are based on a literature review. (3) We discuss the issue of representation in a non-democratic, authoritarian setting in general and in China specifically in light of the fact that almost no literature on representation in authoritarian polities exists. (4) We outline the Chinese domestic discourse on political representation. (5) Finally, we clarify the distinction between political representation and participation on the one hand and elections as a specific feature of representation on the other. We then conclude with a summary of our preliminary findings

Institutional change and legitimacy via Urban elections? People's awareness of elections and participation in Urban neighbourhoods (Shequ)

This paper analyses institutional reforms and political participation, most notably indirect and direct elections of residential committees (RC), in China's urban neighbourhoods and communities (shequ). It shows that these elections at present are not meaningful to the majority of city dwellers as the RCs have little decision-making power and no revenues generated by a collective economy as in most of China's villages. RCs are primarily important to those weaker strata of society who depend on the state to be provided with social services and financial support - tasks that the RCs are forced to assume on behalf of higher government authorities. Nevertheless, the author finds that as limited the significance of - and knowledge about - RC elections in the daily lives of China's urban dwellers still are, they still have some influence on political awareness and participation. For instance, they make people voice more opinions in their shequ, which may be a good starting point for more direct interference in local political affairs soon to come. The paper emphasizes that RC elections have been introduced in order to enhance regime legitimacy but suggests that they may spur democratization by the rise of accountability as a conditioning factor of this legitimacy and by electoral 'habituation' as a transition to full democratic commitment. Whilst 'security first, participation second' seems to be the order of the day and the 'freedom of politics' is still more important than a concern for RC elections and shequ affairs, it remains to be seen if those elections may not soon trigger off a meaningful drive for political participation in China's cities