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China's New Urbanization: Inequality and the New Chinese Dream, by JiabaoSun, London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2021. 167 pp. $39.95 (paper). ISBN: 978‐1‐8386‐0776‐0.

2024; Wiley; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/ruso.12582

1549-0831

Travis Ashby,

China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance

According to Jiabao Sun (2021:1), China needed to move about 100 million rural people into cities to reach its goal of urbanizing 60 percent of its population by 2020. To achieve this, the government implemented state-led urbanization initiatives that involved two approaches: the "Building a New Socialist Countryside" (NSC) approach and the "New Rural Reconstruction" (NRR) approach. In China's New Urbanization: Inequality and the New Chinese Dream, Sun evaluates the impact of these approaches on ordinary villagers, drawing on her fieldwork in affected communities. Through comparative analysis, the author argues that the NRR approach is more effective in reducing inequality, preserving villagers' sense of community and identity, and protecting vulnerable populations from the disruptions of urbanization. Sun's research methodology involved extensive qualitative fieldwork in Huaming town in Tianjin province for 6 months in 2014, followed by an additional 5 months of fieldwork in Dongheng, Wusi, and Qingyanliu villages in Zhejiang province. She employed various methods such as semi-structured in-depth interviews, group interviews, observation, and informal discussions with key informants. Sun's primary focus was on the experiences of ordinary farmers affected by state-led urbanization initiatives in China. Her research is grounded in two theoretical frameworks, namely the sustainable rural livelihoods framework and the development-induced displacement and resettlement (DIDR) framework. The book consists of two halves, with the first half analyzing the NSC approach in Tianjin and the second half analyzing the NRR approach in Zhejiang. Each half has two chapters, with the first chapter primarily using Michael Cernea's "Impoverishment, Risks, and Reconstruction" (IRR) model, while the second chapter uses the sustainable rural livelihoods framework. The book's fifth chapter concludes with a discussion of the winners and losers generated by each approach. In Huaming town, the urbanization initiative led to the demolition of the village and mandatory relocation of rural villagers into newly built urban apartments. This uprooted the farmers from their rural lifestyle and pushed many of them into the urban labor market, where their lack of urban skills made them vulnerable. Conversely, the urbanization projects in Zhejiang's villages entailed moderate relocation of villagers and gradual shifts in the local economy to sustain agricultural production while expanding into other sectors such as agritourism and e-commerce. Using the sustainable rural livelihoods framework, Sun analyzes the assets, capabilities, income-generating activities, and sense of identity and community of the resettled villagers. In Tianjin, compensation for resettlement was mainly in the form of urban apartments, which were meant to serve as the primary source of income. However, many found it unsustainable due to the high cost of living and the needs of their growing families. Moreover, less-educated farmers encountered economic challenges in the city, and their rural identity was lost in the process. In contrast, in Zhejiang, farmers with agricultural skills could better adapt to the gradual shift in the local economy, while communal farmland designated for agriculture preserved their sense of identity and self-sufficiency. The book argues that the NRR approach, implemented in Zhejiang, is a more justifiable and superior framework for rural development, as it considers the demands and outlooks of rural populations. On the contrary, the NSC approach in Tianjin favors individuals with urban skills and education, disregarding the welfare and interests of less-educated farmers, resulting in amplified social stratification. The privileged individuals are better off after relocation, while those from less privileged backgrounds suffer. In contrast, the NRR approach in Zhejiang is more efficient, although less-educated farmers face significant economic difficulties in the city and lose their rural identity. Villagers with agricultural skills are better able to adapt to the gradual shift in the local economy in Zhejiang, while the designated areas of communal farmland preserve their sense of identity and self-sufficiency. Overall, the book supports the NRR approach as a more sustainable and equitable model for rural development that considers the needs and perspectives of rural individuals, while the NSC approach primarily benefits those with urban skill sets and education, disregarding the well-being and interests of less-educated farmers. The NSC approach in Tianjin tended to worsen social stratification because illiterate and uneducated villagers felt lost during the resettlement process, received insufficient compensation, and had limited access to well-paying jobs in the urban labor market. This resulted in residents from privileged backgrounds being better off after resettlement, while those from less privileged backgrounds were worse off. In contrast, the NRR approach in Zhejiang was better equipped to protect vulnerable populations from the risks and stresses of resettlement, while also improving the living standards and well-being of ordinary farmers. Unlike in Tianjin, rural redevelopment in Zhejiang did not radically alter the labor market or the cost of living, preserving opportunities for farmers and people without urban skill sets to lead sustainable lives. China's New Urbanization is a comprehensive analysis of the impact of public policy and local governance on livelihoods, communities, and identities during urban development. It offers valuable insights not only for those interested in Chinese urbanization but also for scholars studying community, public policy, rural and urban studies, and development. The book's sociological assessments of public policy demonstrate methodological rigor, revealing lessons that extend beyond the specific context of Chinese urbanization and the author's empirical findings. Sun concludes with an overview of the winners and losers generated by each approach, repeating the book's thesis that the NRR approach is more effective in insulating vulnerable populations from the risks, stresses, and shocks of resettlement and improving the living standards and well-being of ordinary farmers. I highly recommend China's New Urbanization: Inequality and the New Chinese Dream to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of how public policy affects the well-being of community residents.