Yan Gao Knihy

This book examines the transition of hundreds of rural households in ten villages in Zhejiang from 1986 to 2002, focusing on sustainable development. Utilizing extensive first-hand data collected over 17 years from fixed observation sites, it details changes in household behavior and their origins. The analysis is conducted at both household and village levels. The first seven chapters explore various aspects of household behavior, including land transfer, saving and borrowing, and tax burdens. Chapters eight to ten shift to village-level data, providing a broader context for understanding these transitions. The work enhances comprehension of rural China through the micro lens of household behavior and has received notable accolades, including the Monograph Award in the Third China Rural Development Research Award (2008) and the Second Class Excellent Research Achievement in Humanities and Social Sciences from the Ministry of Education (2009). By starting with individual households and expanding to village dynamics, the book offers a coherent and systematic study of rural societal changes. It breaks from traditional analysis focused solely on households, allowing for macro-level generalizations about the transition in agriculture, countryside, and peasant issues, as recognized by the award selection panel.