Remaking Socialism: Politics, Ideology and Market Transformation in China, 1976-1992

• In Event: 226 - Section on Political Sociology Paper Session. How Political Culture Matters

Abstract

One of the most surprising things about China is that China still describes itself as a socialist country even though its economy very much resembles “capitalism.” Existing accounts of China’s economic reform commonly turn to the power of market, the strengths of the state, or power struggles among political elites to explain origins and trajectories of its market transformation. This literature cannot explain the high intensity, long duration, and broad range of policy debates among political elites between 1976 and 1992, which was uncommon in contemporary Chinese history. This article explains the remaining puzzle and makes a case for bringing ideology back into study of market transformations. I offer a theory of the relationship between politics, ideology, and policy change. The structure of the political field conditions the significance of invocation of ideology and which elements in ideology are suitable to invoke. Efforts to expand the boundary of ideology resemble intellectual movements. By tracing how ideology constrains the historical trajectory and how ideology itself changes, I show how ideology matters in uncertain times.

Author

• Wen Xie, University of Chicago