Shift China: Examining Social Justice and Equality

Author: Yao Yang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: This book collects 23 articles, most of which were presented at the "International Symposium on Equality and Social Justice in China's Transition Period" held at the China Center for Economic Research, Peking University, on July 11-12, 2002. The other 22 articles are divided into two volumes and five topics. Volume One includes three topics, discussing income inequality, health, education, and employment inequality, as well as social transformation and social justice. Volume Two includes two topics, addressing the meaning of equality, justice, and freedom, and how to build a just society. Behind the tremendous economic achievements, Chinese society is rapidly moving toward polarization. Marketization has brought unprecedented prosperity to China but has also laid bare its other side—resulting inequality. A small group of people, leveraging their power, have accumulated substantial economic benefits, shattering people's millennia-old confidence in the "deserved" and creating widespread relative deprivation. More importantly, China has lost a clear social justice system to accommodate the conflicts arising from social polarization in terms of social sentiments and forces. This book brings together reflections and discussions by renowned scholars from China and abroad on China's inequality and justice issues. Amartya Sen, the 1998 Nobel laureate in Economics, contributed a chapter to the book, elaborating on his capability approach theory. Prominent scholars from the fields of philosophy, sociology, and economics in China, such as Deng Zhenglai, Fan Gang, Han Shuifa, Lin Yifu, Mao Yushi, Qin Hui, and Zhang Shuguang, have shared their insights on social justice issues. The book is divided into two volumes and five topics. "The Reality Volume" includes three topics, discussing income, health, education, and employment inequality, as well as justice issues during social transformation. "The Theory Volume" includes two topics, addressing the meaning of equality, justice, and freedom, and how to build a just society. This book pioneers a rational discussion on inequality and social justice issues in China and serves as a comprehensive work that synthesizes diverse perspectives in this field.