Workshop on East Asia: Politics, Economy and Society Presents

“Same Bed, Different Dreams: Chinese Communist Party Members in Transition”
Presenter: Wenfang Tang
Stanley Hua-Hsia Professor of Political Science, University of Iowa

1:00-2:30pm, Monday
Oct. 17, 2011
Pick Lounge, 5828 South University Ave.

Abstract: Differing from the traditional studies of the Chinese Communist Party which focus on political institutions and party elites, this paper examines the rank-and-file party members in four dimensions: 1) the changing nature of the party members’ demographic characteristics, 2) the difference in political attitudes and behavior between party members and the public, 3) the internal division among party members in their identity with the party, and 4) the political consequences of such internal division. The paper uses data from the Chinese public opinion surveys and finds a significant transformation of the Chinese Communist Party in the past 30 years and it has to face the new challenges in order to keep its political dominance.

Workshop website: http://cas.uchicago.edu/workshops/eastasia/
Student coordinator: Yang Zhang (yangzhang@uchicago.edu)
Faculty sponsors: Dali Yang and Dingxin Zhao

The workshop is sponsored by the Council on Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences and Center for East Asian Studies. Persons with disabilities who believe they may need assistance, please contact the student coordinator in advance.