A Theory and History of Rural–urban Governance in China

This book divides the history of China's rural-urban relations into three stages: antagonism, integration and re-antagonism, and demonstrates that the two coupled variables i.e., policy-culture and coast-trade are the most crucial to urbanization and rural-urban governance in China from ancient times till now. From the perspective of a combination of history and geography, this book puts forward a new theory which is mainly based on Adam Smith's theory and other theories about rural-urban relationship and reinterprets the process and driving forces of evolutionary history of rural-urban relationship over 5,000 years in China. It is useful for researchers and scholars specialized in such fields as rural and urban studies, economics, geography, management and planning for reference. Preface Acknowledgements Overview Contents List of Figures List of Tables 1 Introduction 1.1 Background 1.1.1 Modernization, Ideology and Rural–Urban Relations 1.1.2 Globalization and Informatization 1.2 Questions 1.2.1 How to Look at Rural–Urban Relationship? 1.2.2 How to Choose the Main Variable? 1.2.3 What Theory to Choose? 1.3 Methodology 1.3.1 The Concept of Methodology 1.3.2 The Methodology of This Book: A Combination of History and Logic 1.3.3 Research Ideas and Framework of This Book References 2 Rural–Urban Relations: Concepts, Methods and Theories 2.1 Concepts 2.1.1 Three Main Points 2.1.2 Definition 2.2 Method 2.2.1 Brief Review of Existing Research 2.2.2 The Theoretical Research Methods of This Book 2.3 Theories 2.3.1 Before the 1940s 2.3.2 Between the 1940s and the 1980s 2.3.3 After the 1980s 2.4 Summary References 3 Smith Framework 3.1 The Status of Book III in The Wealth of Nations 3.1.1 Is Book III “A Regrettable Failure”? 3.1.2 Book III Serves as a Transition in the Whole Work 3.1.3 Book III Explains Causes and Effects 3.2 The Smith Framework 3.2.1 Natural Order 3.2.2 Evolutionary Process 3.2.3 Smith Framework 3.3 Smith’s Analysis of China’s Development Problems 3.3.1 Question 3.3.2 Suggestions 3.3.3 Prospects 3.4 The Complement and Extension of Smith Framework 3.4.1 Natural Order is an Ideal State 3.4.2 Different Roles of Coast-Trade and Policy-Culture Relations 3.4.3 The Impacts of Coast-Trade and Policy-Culture Relations 3.5 Summary References 4 The Origin of China’s Rural–Urban Relations 4.1 The Origin of Rural–Urban Relationship 4.1.1 From Agricultural Revolution to Urban Revolution 4.1.2 The Origin of Rural–Urban Relations in China 4.2 The Generality of the Origin of Rural–Urban Relations 4.2.1 The Hypotheses of the Origin of Cities 4.2.2 The Logic of the Evolution from Countries to Cities 4.3 The Uniqueness of Origination of Rural–Urban Relationship 4.3.1 The Country and the City: Culture and Civilization 4.3.2 Cultural and Geographical Differences in Rural–Urban Relationship 4.3.3 A Culture’s Selective Attachment to Policies 4.3.4 Differentiation and Integration of Regional Cultures 4.3.5 The Value Orientation of the Transformation of Rural–Urban Relationship 4.4 Summary References 5 Rural–Urban Relationship in China’s Historical Periods 5.1 The Evolutionary Stages of China’s Rural–Urban Relationship 5.1.1 The Three Mainstream Paradigms on Rural–Urban Division 5.1.2 The Dividing Standards of This Book 5.1.3 Three Evolutionary Stages of China’s Rural–Urban Relations 5.2 The Formation of Rural–Urban Antagonism in the Three Dynasties 5.2.1 Gradual Formation of Rural–Urban Antagonism During Xia and Shang 5.2.2 The Establishment of Rural–Urban Governance System in Zhou 5.3 Formation of Rural–Urban Integration During Eastern Zhou 5.3.1 The Background of the Changing Urban–rural Relations 5.3.2 The Driving Force of Rural–Urban Integration 5.3.3 The Formation and Establishment of Urban and Rural Integration 5.4 The Evolving Rural–Urban Integration After Qin and Han Dynasties 5.4.1 The Development of the Bianhuqimin System 5.4.2 The Cultural Effect of Institutional Evolution 5.4.3 One Side Facing the Sea and the Foreign Trade Policy 5.4.4 Facing the Sea on One Side Dominates the Foreign Trade Policies 5.4.5 Rural–Urban Relations Under the Policy-Culture and Coast-Trade Relations 5.5 Summary References 6 Rural–Urban Relations in Modern China 6.1 The Formation of Urban and Rural Opposition in Modern Times 6.1.1 The Changes of the Rural–Urban Relations 6.1.2 The Formation of Rural–Urban Antagonism 6.2 Establishment and Changes of Modern Rural–Urban Antagonism 6.2.1 Consolidation of the Dual Structural System 6.2.2 Formation of the Dual Structural System 6.2.3 Dual Structural System After the Reform and Opening-Up 6.2.4 The Cultural Effect of the Dual Structural System 6.3 Urbanization Under the Dual Structural System 6.3.1 Gradual Widening of the Rural–Urban Gap 6.3.2 Rapid Evolution of Urbanization 6.3.3 Co-Variation Characteristics of Urbanization and Rural–Urban Gap 6.3.4 Impact of One-Side Facing the Sea and Trade Development 6.4 Summary References 7 Conclusion 7.1 Key to Understanding Rural–Urban Relationship 7.2 Smith Framework and China’s Rural–Urban Relations 7.2.1 The Origin of Rural–Urban Relations Verifies Natural Order 7.2.2 Policy-Culture and Coast-Trade Affect the Evolution of Rural–Urban Relations 7.2.3 New System and Culture of Rural–Urban Integration Are Key to Modernization 7.3 Reflection on History