IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i22p15853-d1278245.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Rural Land Consolidation and Social Consciousness Change: A Case Study of a Land Consolidation Program in Rural Chongqing, China

Author

Listed:
  • Qinwen Deng

    (School of Law, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China)

  • Shuai Xiang

    (School of Public Policy and Management, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China)

  • Boli Chen

    (School of Law, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China)

Abstract

With the changing relationship between urban and rural areas in China, the rural areas are experiencing rapid social transformation. To ensure successful implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, land consolidation has become a major measure of rural economic reform. Existing research focuses on quantitative studies exploring the relationship between land consolidation and rural economic development, but there is a lack of studies on the relationship between land consolidation and social change. In this study, we utilized Rocha’s conceptual framework for community empowerment and selected Jin’an Village as our study area, using semi-structured interviews and semi-participatory observation to obtain original materials, with the aim of providing a detailed description of the specific practice of land consolidation and analyzing the impact of land consolidation on the transformation of rural social consciousness. The study found that the participatory practices of Chinese rural villagers in the land consolidation process are consistent with the development process of community empowerment. Rural land consolidation involves villagers in the land consolidation process, which can effectively stimulate villagers’ participation in public affairs. Concurrently, the interaction between villagers and outside investors disrupts the conventional socialization model in rural areas and motivates villagers to act in accordance with contractual agreements. The conclusion is that land consolidation in rural areas can enhance the political democracy and legal consciousness of local villagers, which can lead to a change in local social consciousness. Our findings also emphasize the crucial necessity of providing rural villagers with improved accessibility to professional services and information, coupled with the continued promotion of land consolidation to advance modernization in these areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Qinwen Deng & Shuai Xiang & Boli Chen, 2023. "Rural Land Consolidation and Social Consciousness Change: A Case Study of a Land Consolidation Program in Rural Chongqing, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-19, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:22:p:15853-:d:1278245
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/22/15853/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/22/15853/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Neubauer, Deane E., 1967. "Some Conditions of Democracy," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 61(4), pages 1002-1009, December.
    2. Tsai, Lily L., 2007. "Solidary Groups, Informal Accountability, and Local Public Goods Provision in Rural China," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 101(2), pages 355-372, May.
    3. Ghazala Mansuri, 2004. "Community-Based and -Driven Development: A Critical Review," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 19(1), pages 1-39.
    4. Bredo, William, 1959. "Rural Industrialization For Agricultural Development," 1917-1970 AAEA Conference Archive 284411, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    5. Yang Liu & Jiajun Qiao & Jie Xiao & Dong Han & Tao Pan, 2022. "Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Rural Revitalization and an Improvement Path: A Typical Old Revolutionary Cultural Area as an Example," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-24, October.
    6. Daron Acemoglu & Simon Johnson & James A. Robinson, 2001. "The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(5), pages 1369-1401, December.
    7. Deininger, Klaus & Savastano, Sara & Carletto, Calogero, 2012. "Land Fragmentation, Cropland Abandonment, and Land Market Operation in Albania," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(10), pages 2108-2122.
    8. Yuan, Xuefeng & Du, Wenpeng & Wei, Xindong & Ying, Yue & Shao, Yajing & Hou, Rui, 2018. "Quantitative analysis of research on China’s land transfer system," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 301-308.
    9. Shili Guo & Qiuyan Chen & Yao He & Dingde Xu, 2022. "Spatial–Temporal Features and Correlation Studies of County Rural Hollowing in Sichuan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-19, July.
    10. Paul Vander Meer, 1975. "Land Consolidation through Land Fragmentation: Case Studies from Taiwan," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 51(3), pages 275-283.
    11. Wu, Yuzhe & Mo, Zhibin & Peng, Yi & Skitmore, Martin, 2018. "Market-driven land nationalization in China: A new system for the capitalization of rural homesteads," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 559-569.
    12. William Bredo, 1959. "Rural Industrialization for Agricultural Development," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 41(5), pages 1332-1344.
    13. Furubotn, Eirik G & Pejovich, Svetozar, 1972. "Property Rights and Economic Theory: A Survey of Recent Literature," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 10(4), pages 1137-1162, December.
    14. Welzel, Christian, 2014. "Evolution, Empowerment, and Emancipation: How Societies Climb the Freedom Ladder," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 33-51.
    15. Wu, Ziping & Liu, Minquan & Davis, John, 2005. "Land consolidation and productivity in Chinese household crop production," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 28-49.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yongchao Zhang & Hans Westlund & Johan Klaesson, 2020. "Report from a Chinese Village 2019: Rural Homestead Transfer and Rural Vitalization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-22, October.
    2. Arjan de Haan & Ward Warmerdam, 2012. "The politics of aid revisited: a review of evidence on state capacity and elite commitment," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-007-12, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    3. Ceyhun Haydaroglu, 2015. "The Relationship between Property Rights and Economic Growth: an Analysis of OECD and EU Countries," DANUBE: Law and Economics Review, European Association Comenius - EACO, issue 4, pages 217-239, December.
    4. Dong, Jing & Xu, Wanyu & Cha, Jun, 2021. "Rural entrepreneurship and job creation: the hybrid identity of village-cadre-entrepreneurs," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    5. Daniel Ayalew Ali & Klaus Deininger & Loraine Ronchi, 2019. "Costs and Benefits of Land Fragmentation: Evidence from Rwanda," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 33(3), pages 750-771.
    6. Klaus Deininger & Daniel Monchuk & Hari K Nagarajan & Sudhir K Singh, 2017. "Does Land Fragmentation Increase the Cost of Cultivation? Evidence from India," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 53(1), pages 82-98, January.
    7. Yongchao Zhang & André Torre & Marianne Ehrlich, 2021. "Governance Structure of Rural Homestead Transfer in China: Government and/or Market?," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.
    8. Yu, Peiheng & Fennell, Shailaja & Chen, Yiyun & Liu, Hui & Xu, Lu & Pan, Jiawei & Bai, Shaoyun & Gu, Shixiang, 2022. "Positive impacts of farmland fragmentation on agricultural production efficiency in Qilu Lake watershed: Implications for appropriate scale management," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    9. Haggard, Stephan & Tiede, Lydia, 2011. "The Rule of Law and Economic Growth: Where are We?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 673-685, May.
    10. Dilip Mookherjee & Pranab K. Bardhan, 2012. "Political Clientelism and Capture: Theory and Evidence from West Bengal, India," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2012-097, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    11. Zhang, L., 2018. "Can large-scale farmland transfer improve agricultural productivity? Evidence from rural Jiangsu, P.R. China," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 275918, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    12. Haseeb, Muhammad & Vyborny, Kate, 2022. "Data, discretion and institutional capacity: Evidence from cash transfers in Pakistan," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    13. Zang, Yuzhu & Yang, Yuanyuan & Liu, Yansui, 2021. "Toward serving land consolidation on the table of sustainability: An overview of the research landscape and future directions," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    14. Wilfahrt, Martha, 2018. "The politics of local government performance: Elite cohesion and cross-village constraints in decentralized Senegal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 149-161.
    15. Jeanet Sinding Bentzen & Gunes Gokmen, 2023. "The power of religion," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 28(1), pages 45-78, March.
    16. Fan, Haichao & Li, Chang & Xue, Chang & Yu, Miaojie, 2023. "Clan culture and patterns of industrial specialization in China," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 207(C), pages 457-478.
    17. Munnangi, Aswani Kumar & Lohani, Bharat & Misra, Subhas Chandra, 2020. "A review of land consolidation in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India: Qualitative approach," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    18. Katherine Casey & Rachel Glennerster & Edward Miguel, 2012. "Reshaping Institutions: Evidence on Aid Impacts Using a Preanalysis Plan," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 127(4), pages 1755-1812.
    19. Okosu, Napoleon David, 2021. "Institutions and Economic Performance: A Critical Evaluation of the Nigeria Economy," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 5(10), pages 746-755, October.
    20. Christopher Paik, 2013. "Political Mobilization in Tibet," HiCN Working Papers 155, Households in Conflict Network.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:22:p:15853-:d:1278245. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.