Chinese Journal of Sociology

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Media Mobilization, DemolitionResistant Families, and Contentious Politics：Reanalysis of the Event of Yihuang

Lü Dewen，Center for Chinese Rural Governance Study，Huazhong University of Science and Technology   

  • Online:2012-05-20 Published:2012-05-20
  • Contact: Lü Dewen，Center for Chinese Rural Governance Study，Huazhong University of Science and Technology E-mail:dugu_jiubai@163.com
  • Supported by:

    This study is founded by The Humanity and Social Science Research Project, Ministry of Education (12YJC710046).

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Abstract:

The contention event of Yihuang in September，2010 is of great significance because it has changed the contention routine in contemporary China by adopting a new type of contentious politics. Before it became the media focus, Yihuang event was just another ordinary occurrence of residents resisting demolition of their houses, a part of the subaltern politics. The main contention strategies taken by the families under the order to move typically including negotiation with the local government in charge of demolition, intercepting visits to appeal, and seeking media attention. These are “weapons of the weak”, parochial, localspecific, and bifurcated; therefore, of low salience and poor coordination, usually unsuccessful to achieve contention objectives. This time, the Zhong family adopted an extreme contention means of selfimmolation. Since the occurrence of this event, the largescale involvement of the media has presented the inherent tension of policies to the public, and the demolitionresistant families (who do not want to move) have taken the political opportunity to innovate contentious performances, pushing it toward its extremity and turning the event of Yihuang into a part of a professional social movement to bring about institutional changes and protect the vulnerable groups’ interests. Thus, the event of Yihuang becomes cosmopolitan, modular, and autonomous. After the local government fully met the demands of the demolitionresistant families, the event of Yihuang demobilized essentially due to the competition between the contentious families and the media rather than inappropriate institutionalization. Obviously, the media were not successful in achieving their contention objects related to institutional changes because of the existence of the institutional fundamentals that led to the event of Yihuang. The demolition system and the petition system are typical low functional systems, incapable of regulating the opportunistic behaviors of the local governments or controlling the demolitionresistant families’ opportunistic violence aiming for benefits. After the conclusion of the Yihuang event, the same political structure of opportunities still exist.

Key words: demolitionresistant families, contentious politics, media mobilization, Yihuang event