Neighborhood conflicts in urban China: from consciousness of property rights to contentious actions

作者：Fu Qiang

来源：Eurasian Geography and Economics, 2015, 56(3): 285-307.

DOI：10.1080/15387216.2015.1095107

• neighborhood conflicts
• neighborhood perception
• consciousness of property rights
• contentious politics
• rules consciousness

Although urban neighborhood conflicts have drawn widespread attention, their possible link with neighborhood perception has not been quantified in the existing literature. Based on a recent neighborhood-based survey of urban residents in Guangzhou, China, this study investigates the structure, determinants, and consequences of neighborhood conflicts. In particular, it finds that there is inherently a subjective dimension embedded in neighborhood conflicts such that these conflicts should be conceptualized and measured as an individual-level perception of neighborhoods. Evidence from both empirical analyses and field research revealed that consciousness of property rights had significant effects on perceived neighborhood conflicts, while both consciousness of property rights and perceived neighborhood conflicts, especially those with local and grass-roots government agencies, further contribute to the occurrence of residents' contentious actions. By situating neighborhood conflicts in the context of rules consciousness, this study brings attention to neighborhood perception shaping contentious politics in China's urban transformation.

• 出版日期2015-5-4