A Study On Social Changes Of Shihu Village In Southeasten China

Shihu Village of Shishi City, Quanzhou Municipality, Fujian Province, including two administrative communities of Shiyu and Shinong, accommodates both Han and Hui ethnic groups. In ancient times, Shihu was an important port in Quanzhou for transportation and trade on the Maritime Silk Road. Since the founding of People's Republic of China, Shihu has undergone enormous changes with the implementation of such national policies as the three major socialist reforms, reform and opening up and the establishment of socialist market economic system. This dissertation is based on the Marxist historical materialism and the socialism theory with Chinese characteristic, to explore the contemporary social changes in Shihu Village and its communities by adopting the approaches of field research, questionnaire survey and literature review from the perspectives of the relationship between communities and social changes.The dissertation starts with an introduction of the natural environment, ethnic groups, demography,history, culture and economy of Shihu. It then illustrates the changes in social life of Shihu since the founding of the PRC in the dimensions of marriage, family and clan system, social network, social stratum and social causes, and discuss on the dynamic factors and basic features of such changes. It finally concludes with the orientations and strategies in terms of the Village's development against the backdrop of the Belt and Road Initiative.This dissertation has come to the following five conclusions. Firstly,the process of Shihu's social changes and its status quo are a true portrayal of Chinese villages' transformation from an earthbound society to a post-earthbound society, which could be summarized as a type of inherited change.Secondly, in its process of social progress and changes, Shihu has kept the earthbound features of its traditional livelihood, familiar social relations, clan communities, religious and folk customs, and also connected with the external modern world to present its modern and post-earthbound features, which include three times of separation of its village space, multiple and complementary ways of livelihood,mass migration and detached state, diversified social structures, multiple social relations as well as co-governing by law and ethical code. Thirdly, in the process of modernization of a village society, the development of the micro "ideas market" has enabled the earthbound knowledge and its spiral innovation to have strong productivity and driving forces, which have led and promoted the economic development and social changes of the villages, and created an integrative village civic order connecting the Chinese traditional rural civilization with the modern world civilization. Fourthly, the dynamic factors that have promoted the social changes in Shihu mainly include the inner-sourcing,outer-sourcing and coupling dynamics. The inner-sourcing dynamic consists of village community economic development, strength of community elites, individual spontaneous development and mass social joint forces. The outer-sourcing dynamic refers to macro systemic reforms, policy guidance and globalization. The coupling dynamic refers to the coupling of "the formal system and the informal system" (in other words, system and culture), which aims to ensure the continuous uniformity of dynamic driving direction and dynamic supply. Fifthly, the Belt and Road Initiative is not only an opportunity but also a challenge to Shihu Village. Governmental guidance is to be given on the village to actively take part in the BRI endeavor. Traditional economy is to be revitalized, and the Sixth Industry created to boost a cluster development of its logistics. Its involvement in the bidding of Ancient Maritime Silk Road for the World Cultural Heritage is to be encouraged in order to promote the village cultural development. The social co-existence and interactive development is to be strengthened, so as to promote the building of harmonious communities.