The past half a century has witnessed China’s profound socioeconomic changes at an accelerated pace since 1990s. In spite of such unprecedented transformations as the drastic shifts in values, the social and geographical mobility of citizens in hundreds of millions, the large-scale urban development, and the increasing social polarization, there has been no fierce conflict between social groups, and the social order is generally well maintained. How can we account for such a China Stability Myth?
This book unfolds the politico-social stability of Chinese society during its rapid change since the late 1970s. Different from the analysis provided by macroeconomics or the state institutions approach, this research draws on insights from the society-centered theories and is devoted to rediscovering the society. Through a combination of field research, institutional analysis and historiography, this study discovers the “invisible system of society” from the fabrics of social life. Meanwhile, the reality is situated in a historical context to gain insight of the dialectical relationship between chaos and order in a transitioning society. Proposing some important concepts such as “key systems of society”, “politics of transition” , “meta-frame of social transition” and “the state of liminality”, the author demonstrates how the deep-seated social structure affects the operation of the whole society as well as the change of political and economic situation.