英文摘要 |
The study of pathways to power is an important research topic in political sociology and comparative mobility research. However, little research has covered the career mobility of Chinese grassroots officials. Going beyond the popular frameworks, such as “elite dualism” in elites studies, I tried to identify and provide suggestions from the perspective of “social capital”. Using data from the fieldwork conducted at a township in an inland rural area in Northeast China, I found that social capital is more important and determinant than “human capital” for the recruitment and promotion of officials at a township level. Taking the approach of “Multiple Logics of Institutional Change”, I argue that the continuing importance of social capital in the career mobility of township officials in rural Northeast China is a result of the interaction of several institutional factors. Increasing economic demands and some institutional reform measures, such as open elections in rural areas, have sought to change the status-quo and decrease the reliance on social capital. However, these findings reveal that the sources of career mobility for political elites are still essentially the same, despite the dramatic change in state-peasant relations over the years. |