Shen Yang

Yang examines the political process of the Occupy Movement spanning from January 2013, when the “Occupy Central with Love and Peace” (OCLP) campaign was initiated, to December 2014, when the Occupy Movement finally ended. This book adopts an actor-centered approach in the study of democratization and places civil society as the focus of the analysis. The OCLP campaign was an attempt to transfer leadership of democratization from political parties to civil society, while the incorporation of Deliberation Days further let ordinary participants decide on the electoral proposals. The democratic ideals of civil society activists and the mobilization of radical democrats led the campaign to enter a radical position. The Chinese government interpreted democratization in Hong Kong from a regime security perspective and took a hardliner position. After the Occupy Movement finally occurred, the leadership of civil society and the conception of civil disobedience contained the radical protesters. However, after the movement, civil society organizations were blamed for its failure, and contention in Hong Kong became more transgressive and decentralized. This book is a valuable resource for scholars of Hong Kong’s Politics and a relevant case study for those studying the dynamics of social movements and the civil society strategy in democratic transition.

Yang examines the political process of the Occupy Movement spanning from January 2013, when the “Occupy Central with Love and Peace” (OCLP) campaign was initiated, to December 2014, when the Occupy Movement finally ended. This book adopts an actor-centered approach in the study of democratization and places civil society as the focus of the analysis. The OCLP campaign was an attempt to transfer leadership of democratization from political parties to civil society, while the incorporation of Deliberation Days further let ordinary participants decide on the electoral proposals. The democratic ideals of civil society activists and the mobilization of radical democrats led the campaign to enter a radical position. The Chinese government interpreted democratization in Hong Kong from a regime security perspective and took a hardliner position. After the Occupy Movement finally occurred, the leadership of civil society and the conception of civil disobedience contained the radical protesters. However, after the movement, civil society organizations were blamed for its failure, and contention in Hong Kong became more transgressive and decentralized. This book is a valuable resource for scholars of Hong Kong’s Politics and a relevant case study for those studying the dynamics of social movements and the civil society strategy in democratic transition.

”Rikoin lakia vain syntymällä.” Shen Yang syntyi 1980-luvulla Kiinan yhden lapsen politiikan julmimpien vuosien aikaan. Koskettavassa muistelmateoksessa hän kertoo omista kokemuksistaan ylimääräisenä – ja siten perheelleen vaarallisena – lapsena. Shen Yang lähetettiin piiloon maaseudulle, jossa hän vietti viisi vuotta isovanhempiensa hellässä huomassa. Vilkkaan lapsen hoitaminen muuttui kuitenkin pian vanhuksille liian raskaaksi, ja hän päätyi tätinsä huostaan vieraaseen kaupunkiin. Rakkaus ja huolenpito katosivat yhdessä yössä pienen tytön elämästä. Hänen lapsuutensa oli täynnä salailua, piilottelua ja kaltoinkohtelua. Valonpilkahdus löytyi koulusta. Siellä Shen Yang sai läheisiä ystäviä muista kaltaisistaan hyljeksityistä, kätketyistä lapsista, ja löysi vahvuutensa kirjallisuudesta ja englannin kielestä. Yliopistoon päästyään hän alkoi vihdoin elää omaa elämäänsä. Teos antaa äänen Kiinan miljoonille laittomille lapsille ja paljastaa yhden lapsen politiikan yhteiskuntaan jättämät syvät arvet.” Nyt kun Kiinan yhden lapsen politiikkaa on höllennetty, laittomien lasten tarinoista tulee pian iso osa Kiinan kansan kollektiivista muistia. Mutta niille, jotka varttuivat tämän nöyryytyksen leimaamana, arvet ovat pysyviä.” – Vincent Ni,The Guardian

Proceeding from the ideational and theoretical basis of the innovative Marxist concept of "society building", the book gives a detailed account on the recent achievements made by China in education, health and people's wellbeing, focusing on the tremendous achievement of building a socialist governance system with Chinese characteristics and strengthening and innovating social governance, unfolding the new ideas and strategies in society building and social governance in China since the 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China (2017). Readers will find numerous facts about today's China including COVID-19 pandemic governance and an unpretentious and fairly objective assessment of the modernization drive at an unprecedented pace in human history towards a prosperous society in all respects, and the socio-political structures that underpin and interact with this drive. It will be of interest to academics, professionals, students and the general public seeking a comprehensive understanding of China. Another salient feature of the book is the several show cases and oral stories that epitomize the new height of the prevention and control system for social security in China: the "Xicheng Aunties", the SWAT Corps of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, the "Chaoyang Masses", the Command Hall of the Traffic Administration Bureau, the "Pharaohs", the Shuangyushu Fire Brigade, the Beixinqiao Police Station and the On-Duty Office of Network Security, Fengheying Checkpoint into Beijing...