Political and ethnic representation in Chinese local governance : analysis of the roles of the deputies of Leishan County People's Congress, Guizhou Province, China : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies, Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand

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dc.contributor.authorZheng, Yuanheng
dc.date.accessioned2017-07-06T21:59:58Z
dc.date.available2017-07-06T21:59:58Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.description.abstractThis thesis investigates the political and ethnic environment of local Chinese political actors and their representational dilemmas in the Miao-dominant area of Leishan County, Guizhou Province, China. The investigation is conducted via two research questions: how do the deputies of a Miao County People‘s Congress in China play their roles in representing the interests of the state towards the community, and how do they represent the interests of the community towards the state? The achievements of the deputies and the challenges they face in their dual representational roles are a focus of the analysis. The thesis provides insight into the governance and politics of a local government body dominated by an ethnic minority and the interplay of these dynamics with central government authorities presided over by Han Chinese. The representative structure of the Leishan County People‘s Congress (LCPC) and its deputy membership is explored to understand how the deputies enact their roles in promoting, intervening in and restructuring development projects as both agents of and remonstrators to the central state. Case studies of village governance and cultural tourism are used to illustrate how the LCPC deputies are both coordinators and negotiators in a polycentric local governance structure. The fieldwork was carried out in the ethnic area of Leishan County. Relevant data was collected through four interrelated research methods: focus groups, semi-structured individual interviews, purposive observation and document analysis. The quantification of pairwise ranking by the focus groups highlighted the achievements and challenges in the key functions required of the deputies. The data also led to two further areas for in-depth analysis: centrallocal relations, and the political and ethnic representation of the deputies. The research found that when conflicts exist, political representation that favours the state prevails over community interests. At the same time, the deputies‘ representation of their ethnic communities is enhanced and augmented when they undertake to localise the national development policies and projects handed down by central authorities. Finally, the concept of polycentric governance enables a more precise understanding of the changing local governance systems in China among the diverse stakeholders present in the ethnic communities.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10179/11440
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherMassey Universityen_US
dc.rightsThe Authoren_US
dc.subjectHmongen_US
dc.subjectMiaoen_US
dc.subjectGovernment relationsen_US
dc.subjectPolitics and governmenten_US
dc.subjectLocal governmenten_US
dc.subjectGuizhou Shengen_US
dc.subjectGuizhou Provinceen_US
dc.subjectChinaen_US
dc.titlePolitical and ethnic representation in Chinese local governance : analysis of the roles of the deputies of Leishan County People's Congress, Guizhou Province, China : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Development Studies, Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealanden_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
massey.contributor.authorZheng, Yuanhengen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineDevelopment Studiesen_US
thesis.degree.grantorMassey Universityen_US
thesis.degree.levelDoctoralen_US
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)en_US
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