Chapter 15, Problem 2RQE

Summary Introduction

Introduction

What is the author’s main research question? This study argues that people's acceptance of particular movement activities is shaped by their perception of state legitimation.

What theoretical frameworks are referred to, and which ones are used? Some scholars see the protests as street theater, the author used state-society relations frameworks.

What methodology is the author using? What type of data collection was chosen? What is the unit of analysis? The author uses interviews with survivors, memoirs, and monographs. Patterns of movement is the unit of analysis.

Does the author have a hypothesis? If so, what is it? His initial hypothesis was that if the patterns of a social movement are determined by culture, the 1989 BSM should appear less traditional than the earlier movements, since Chinese culture has become significantly more modern during the 20th century.

How does the author conceptualize key terms such as state, state-society, and traditionalism? The state is interested in maintaining the status quo, state-society is how society is used to support the state; and traditionalism is how ancestors have approached problems.

What are the study’s findings? This article shows that structural factors such as the nature of a state, the level and strength of intermediate organizations in society, and the sources of state legitimation all have motivational and micro-level behavioral consequences.

What is the significance of this study? Are you convinced by the author, or do you see weaknesses in the study? This study is a new way to view challenges in China through a cultural lens. The author convinced me, though weakness could be found in comparing rebellions in 1911 with 1989 without controlling for different conditions completely.