Popular Protest in China by Wright Teresa;

Author:Wright, Teresa;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Polity Press
Published: 2018-07-26T16:00:00+00:00

Protest Rhetoric and Actions

Like other kinds of protestors, homeowners in new residential communities have referenced the law in their collective actions, and have portrayed themselves as being loyal to the central Party-state. Yet, affluent homeowners also have employed a somewhat distinctive rhetoric. In many cases, they have portrayed themselves as “high quality” (gao suzhi) citizens acting in defense of their consumer rights. More broadly, they have emphasized their role in advancing China's modernization, and have cast their opponents – greedy developers, management companies, and local officials – as impediments to this modernization.30

In terms of taking action, like other kinds of protestors, homeowners in new housing tracts typically have begun by voicing their grievances through legal, institutionalized channels, such as filing collective lawsuits and submitting collective petitions to “letters and visits” offices. Since the late 1990s, such actions have been common. Yet as with other lawsuits, in the vast majority of these cases the litigants have not been successful.31 And even when homeowners have won court cases, the ruling often has been weakly enforced at best.

Also, similar to other kinds of protests, when legal channels have failed, disgruntled homeowners in new tracts have turned to non-institutionalized methods. Some of these actions have been physical, including both non-violent hunger strikes and occasionally more violent acts, such as destroying buildings whose construction they oppose.32 Other tactics employed by affluent homeowners have capitalized on their privileged socioeconomic status. As with evictees and rank-and-file workers, homeowners in new tracts have used the Internet as a tool for communication and mobilization. However, the specific ways in which they have done so have been somewhat unique. As noted above, most residents of new housing tracts do not know one another before they move in. Further, most have work commitments that require commuting and long hours away from the residential site. As a result, community-building can be a challenge. Because all units in the tract have Internet connections, residents in many developments have established listservs and blog sites for the community, thus enabling virtual discussion of common issues as well as mobilization for potential collective actions. Indeed, HOA blogs are among the largest on the Chinese Internet.33 Another tactic distinctive to these communities is simply refusing to pay management company fees until the issue is resolved. In addition, some disgruntled residents have skirted official prohibitions on street gatherings by engaging in “driving” or “parking” protests in their cars, with banners and/or broadcasted messages voicing their displeasure. This method of protest displays the affluence of these homeowners; it is not available to farmers, rank-and-file workers, and evictees, as few are wealthy enough to own their own vehicles. Further, some homeowners in new residential communities have used their connections with academic institutions to procure data to support their claims.

A final unique – and significant – feature of homeowner activism in new residential communities has been the rise of cross-community organization. Illustrating how opportunity structures can both give rise to collective action and be shaped by it, these associations have used

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