The Exemplary System ——A Study On Exemplary Farmer Cooperatives In China

This research aims to develop a new explanation to the exemplary system in China through studying on the exemplary farmer cooperatives.The exemplary system is a mechanism that integrating different stakeholders, such as central government, local government, farmer cooperatives, experts, etc.. It shows not only the way of setting up models, but the rule, according to which people are interacted with each other, as represented by the "project system" and "work unit system". This study focuses on illustrating the reproduction of social order by analyzing the interaction of different stakeholders in the process of choosing and parading exemplary farmer cooperatives.The research is mainly based on case studies. Materials from government, relative conferences, and the study on Australian farmer organizations are used as well to gain better insights into to narrative of modeling. The big narrative of modeling is composed by seven small narratives listed as follows:the reason of choosing exemplary farmer cooperatives, design of the way of choosing exemplary farmer cooperatives, implementation of the exemplary norms, parading of exemplary farmer cooperatives, emulation of exemplary farmer cooperatives, promotion and demotion of exemplary farmer cooperatives, and varieties of farmer cooperatives’ role. These seven narratives are the scene, in which interaction among different stakeholders can be observed.Six conclusions are drawn from this study. First, the narrative of choosing and parading exemplary farmer cooperatives is a mechanism that motivates the interaction among government at different levels and farmer cooperatives.Second, the reason that the government chose exemplary farmer cooperatives is that farmer cooperatives are seen as useful tools to implement government policies in rural areas. Third, other stakeholders, such as financial organizations, that are not directly related to but to some extent associated with the process of choosing exemplary farmer cooperatives, make the exemplary system more complex. Fourth, the rationality of helping the exemplary farmer cooperatives, which is helping exemplary farmer cooperatives is the same with helping all farmers, is based on a state simplification of the real world. On contrast, the image of the sate and its authority is strengthened in this kind of simplification. Fifth, it is not only the exemplary farmer cooperatives, but also the social order are produced in the process of choosing and parading exemplary farmer cooperatives. Besides, the old social order that produced is reshaped rather than repeated in this reproduction process. Six, the exemplary system is more of seeking to build a new structure that is governable than advertising the exemplar norms. Finally, issues associated with the exemplary system in China are discussed based on this study on exemplary farmer cooperatives.