Current Situation of Rural Rule of Law: A Perspective from Tsinghua University Students

Author: Wang Chenguang, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-27
Features: This book is a theoretical monograph on rural rule of law research, including over ten research papers on rural rule of law. The content covers rural land systems, village elections, the status of rural migrant workers, rural finance, rural families, rural legal services, and civil disputes among farmers, making it suitable for legal researchers to reference and study.
Since the reform and opening-up, Chinese society has entered an unprecedented period of modernization and social transformation. Its momentum is overwhelming, its scale immense, its changes profound, its achievements remarkable, and its impact far-reaching, undeniable and unparalleled in history. Although this modernization and social transformation is still in progress, facing numerous challenges and difficulties, it has already brought tremendous results and benefits to Chinese society, significantly improving social productivity and markedly raising people's living standards. At the same time, its influence has long surpassed national borders, standing out in the process of human modernization and creating a new path for modern development.
This book is a theoretical monograph on rural rule of law research, including over ten research papers on rural rule of law. The content covers rural land systems, village elections, the status of rural migrant workers, rural finance, rural families, rural legal services, and civil disputes among farmers, making it suitable for legal researchers to reference and study. Rural rule of law construction and legal education reform—without needing excessive description, it can be outlined—have become the two major themes of China's legal cause in the new century. Fieldwork and contemplation in the ivory tower—though different paths, they converge—carry the eternal pursuit of justice.
In 2005, students from Tsinghua University Law School participated in legal aid activities in G County, experiencing three months of rural life. This book records their observations, reflections, and ideas, blending fresh writing with a profound rural atmosphere, offering insightful analyses and policy recommendations. Many faculty and students at Tsinghua University Law School have long been concerned with rural rule of law construction. Since its revival in 1995, Tsinghua University Law School has upheld Tsinghua University's tradition of "actions speak louder than words," emphasizing the combination of theory and practice, the comprehensive cultivation of student qualities, and the vigorous development of practical teaching and activities.
After discussion, we believe that several deep-seated issues exist in legal education and research: first, theory detached from practice and teaching disconnected from real-world application, treating law as a purely conceptual and theoretical construct detached from the real world; second, the rigidification of secondary disciplines and the isolation between disciplines; third, overemphasis on textbook knowledge in research while neglecting the cultivation of students' comprehensive qualities, abilities, and legal ethics. To address these problems, the law school has, on the basis of active practice, bold borrowing, scientific planning, and prudent implementation, taken the needs of national and social development as guidance, the realities of China and international trends as the background, and bravely pioneered new paths to overcome these shortcomings.
Focusing on rural China, the largest practical issue, is a concrete approach to implementing these reform ideas. The field surveys in G County are one such specific project. Although most students may not work in rural areas after graduation, their three-month practice in the countryside has indeed given them unique experiences and insights, deepening their understanding of society and grassroots communities, and allowing them to feel the complexity and challenges of China's issues.
This book records their observations, reflections, and ideas, covering various aspects of rural rule of law and social life. However, this was not prearranged; it was purely the result of their own observations and thoughts inspired by what they saw and experienced. While some important aspects (such as village self-governance) remain unaddressed, overall, the content is interconnected, forming a relatively comprehensive survey report and policy study on regional rule of law and social development, with a natural charm akin to "crossing the mountain to see peaks from different sides."
Each article in the book is based on solid social surveys and personal experiences. Although the time was short and the scope of the author's investigations limited, some data may not fully represent the whole picture. However, from the perspectives of case analysis and village analysis, the book still holds great reference value. In particular, the specific cases investigated and analyzed have significant typicality, largely revealing the practical problems in rural rule of law construction and legal operation, offering fresh insights. Their analyses and policy recommendations are also innovative and possess academic rigor.
This research approach, which takes China's grassroots rural institutions and cases as a starting point, along with its unique perspective and the method of moving from practice to theory and back again, is particularly commendable and worth promoting. In this sense, they are pioneers who dare to lead the way, new blossoms in the garden of legal research, and thinkers who think deeply and explore boldly. This book is the crystallization of their efforts and contributions.