The People vs. Pollution: understanding citizen action against pollution in China

TitleThe People vs. Pollution: understanding citizen action against pollution in China
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2010
Authorsvan Rooij, Benjamin
JournalJournal of Contemporary China
Volume19
Issue63
Pagination55-77
Abstract

Chinese pollution victims have increasingly started to resort to political and legal action to
protect their interests. This paper analyzes such activism by studying how citizens identify the
necessity to initiate action against pollution and by investigating the obstacles they meet when attempting to take action. The paper highlights the importance of state and intermediary institutions to aid citizens in understanding the seriousness of pollution and
overcoming the obstacles they face. It shows, however, that often such aid is not available,
and that state institutions when aligned with industrial interests restrict rather than support
citizen action. When this occurs, citizen activism becomes an isolated affair, resulting in
adversarial relations with state and industry, sometimes escalating to violence and repression
of activists. The paper concludes that isolated activism forces a new look at concepts such as
‘embeddedness’ and ‘rightful resistance’ to capture citizen activism and contentious politics
in China.

DOI10.1080/10670560903335777
Collection: