How political capital contributes to a stratified rural China : based on investigation in Z village, Anhui province, China

Abstract

Inter-convert among different kinds of capital, based on Bourdieu's capital theory, is possible in reality. As for rural China, political capital, an important role under current CCP political system, could bring about economic and cultural capitals for capital owners. Always, elites on political as well as public affairs in rural areas are more able to be political capital owners. And they can earn more money than the average villagers inasmuch as more chances to achieve economic capital. Hence, such capital-chain brings about an economic stratification in rural China. In addition, as an outside cause, current process of urbanization in China exerts its influence on such stratification through unequal distribution of political capital. How to solve this stratification issue? It seems that, the famous Huaxi way, towards a more equal rural society with increase of wealth, can be, at least superficially, a right solution. However, in fact it can not unfortunately. The only way is to build a modem public sphere in rural China to defend the tremendous influence of political capital. However, under the current political system, there exists a dilemma in front of rural China.