The question whether China will or will not follow a path of democratic reforms in the near future has been repeatedly asked by many scholars over the last years, even decades. Since the beginning of China's economic reforms and development, modernisation theorists have always been in the front-line when it came down to predicting the country's soon-to-come political liberalisation.
However, after decades of contradictory results of quantitative studies on the alleged causal relationship between economic development and democracy, there is growing consent to Seymour Martin Lipset’s statement that “[w]hether democracy succeeds or fails continues to depend significantly on the choices, behaviors, and decisions of political leaders and groups” (Lipset 1994: 18).
Completely in line with what the German political scientist Wolfgang Muno describes as the “need for qualitative analyses of […] important actors, concepts and strategies” (Muno 2001: 50) in the debate about democracy and development, Rey-Ching Lu’s recently published book “Chinese democracy and elite thinking” focuses upon the ideas and convictions of a few members of the mainland’s elite, from which he draws conclusions about China’s political development in the next couple of years. The underlying assumption is that, contrary to many Western theorists’ beliefs, it is neither the middle class nor the economic liberalisation in itself that will spark democracy ‘from the bottom’, but rather the changing attitudes of the more and more globalised social elite that will eventually lead to a top-down process of political reform and liberalisation.
This book review focuses on the most important aspects of Lu’s methodological approach and line of argument. After a presentation of his methodological proceeding, the main findings and conclusions of Lu’s study will be described and discussed. Then, a critical assessment of the author’s arguments will be made, also considering other scholars’ views on the issues of China’s possible democratization and the role of its elites in this process.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Methodological considerations
3 Findings and prognoses
4 Critical assessment
5 Conclusion
6 References
Objectives and Themes
This book review examines Rey-Ching Lu's work on the intersection of Chinese elite thinking and democratic development, exploring whether a top-down shift in values among the elite can trigger political reform in China.
- The role of Chinese elite attitudes in shaping democratic prospects.
- The historical integration of Confucian ideals and Western liberal values.
- Methodological analysis of qualitative interviews with diverse Chinese elite groups.
- Critical assessment of the "Confucian democracy" model.
- The potential for institutional change within the current political system.
Excerpt from the Book Review
2. Methodological considerations
In order to assess China’s democratic development and to draw conclusions about its future, Rey-Ching Lu opts for a two-pronged methodological approach. In a first step, he resorts to a historiographical analysis of China’s history since the beginning of what Chinese refer to as the quru (humiliation) period in 1839, with the aim of proving the causal relationship between the "development and change of Chinese society" and "Chinese historical practice of democracy"(Lu 2011: 20). Secondly, so as to extrapolate these historical trends of Chinese society toward the next 20 years, Lu conducts 120 interviews with members of the Chinese elite, subdivided into four groups: government officials, businesspeople, media professionals and intellectuals (cf. ibid.: 21). This choice is justified with reference to the traditionally crucial role of Chinese elites in leading and educating the masses (cf. ibid.: 4) and with the assertion that significant changes in Chinese society can only be understood or foreseen through the analysis of "China's subtle political language" (ibid.: 10) and its particular, collectivist culture.
In Chinese culture, an individual does not see himself as an independent, self-seeking entity with a subjectivity that cannot be penetrated by any collectivity; instead, each individual sees himself as a part of various social relationships that he enjoys being a part of and is ready and willing to make contribution by devoting himself to the collective good (Lu 2011: 7).
However, from the 120 interviews conducted the author chooses to take only 18 interview cases from Shanghai into account for the present study. Lu’s justification for substantially limiting the sample is that Shanghai is the most westernized of the big cities in China and that therefore “Shanghai could best represent the future of China as a fusion of Chinese culture and Western culture” (Lu 2011: 23). Yet, Lu doesn’t want Shanghai to be understood as being representative of China as a whole, as the author chooses not to present any information about the other 102 interviews, any comparison between the Shanghai interviews and the overwhelmingly larger remaining part of the covered data is impossible.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the debate surrounding China's democratic future and introduces Lu's focus on elite convictions as a driver for political change.
2 Methodological considerations: Describes the author's two-pronged approach, combining historiographical analysis with 120 elite interviews, specifically highlighting the focus on 18 Shanghai-based cases.
3 Findings and prognoses: Summarizes Lu’s argument that democratization will occur by 2024, driven by an elite-led fusion of traditional Confucian values and modern liberal ideals.
4 Critical assessment: Examines the potential weaknesses in Lu's work, including the romanticized view of traditional society and the challenges in defining "Confucian democracy."
5 Conclusion: Critiques the feasibility of top-down institutional change and suggests that sustained external challenges are necessary for significant reform.
6 References: Lists the academic literature and sources consulted for this review.
Keywords
China, Democratization, Elite Thinking, Confucianism, Political Reform, Chinese Communist Party, Qualitative Research, Institutional Change, Liberalism, Elite Interviews, Shanghai, Political Culture, Governance, Modernization.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this book review?
The review analyzes the work of Rey-Ching Lu regarding how changing mindsets within the Chinese elite might influence the country's path toward democracy.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
Central themes include the interplay between Confucian values and Western liberalism, the role of elite groups in societal development, and the debate over top-down versus bottom-up democratic reform.
What is the author's core research question?
The research explores whether the attitudes of the Chinese elite, specifically their potential shift toward a "Confucian democracy," can trigger a process of democratic transition.
Which methodology does the author employ?
Lu utilizes a two-part methodology: a historiographical analysis of Chinese political history and qualitative interviews with 120 members of the Chinese elite, focusing specifically on 18 interviewees from Shanghai.
What topics are covered in the main body of the work?
The work covers historical trends, the self-perception of various elite groups (officials, intellectuals, etc.), and critical evaluations of whether these groups can drive political modernization.
Which keywords characterize this publication?
Key terms include Chinese elite thinking, democratization, Confucianism, political reform, institutional change, and modernization.
Why does the reviewer express skepticism regarding the author's interview selection?
The reviewer notes that by selecting only 18 out of 120 interviews from the highly westernized city of Shanghai, the author limits the ability to draw representative conclusions about the rest of China.
How does the review evaluate the concept of "Confucian democracy"?
The reviewer finds the model somewhat vague and idealized, noting that while it is an interesting proposition, it struggles to distinguish clearly between its normative goals and predictive capabilities.
- Quote paper
- Bertram Lang (Author), 2012, A Book Review of Rey-Ching Lu (2011) "Chinese Democracy and Elite Thinking", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/211217
