عنوان

The promotion mechanism of political elites in reforming China

Number

TLets675078

Title Proper

The promotion mechanism of political elites in reforming China

General Material Designation

[Thesis]

First Statement of Responsibility

Lin, Rongrong

Subsequent Statement of Responsibility

Dryburgh, Marjorie ; Zhang, Zhong

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

University of Sheffield

Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.

2015

Dissertation or thesis details and type of degree

Ph.D.

Body granting the degree

University of Sheffield

Text preceding or following the note

2015

Text of Note

This thesis attempts to study how human capital and social capital affect political elite upward mobility in China. The analysis of human capital or social capital has long been at the crux of the studies on status attainment, career mobility and social stratification. Previous literature has emphasized the notable career returns to either capital. Yet little is understood about whether the effect of either capital can be also observed in upward mobility for political leaders, to what extent either capital is rewarded in promotion dynamics over different career stages or how both capitals interrelate in the process of career mobility. This thesis attempts to answer the first two research questions and leaves the third issue unresolved for future research. Thus, it develops promotion models for Chinese provincial leaders from 1990 to 2013. The promotion analyses in this thesis addresses two specific research questions: how do human capital and social capital affect promotion outcomes? And how do these effects change across administrative ranks and over different historical periods? Based on education and career histories of a sample of 1,891 provincial leaders drawn from 31 provincial-level administrations in China, this thesis extends the understanding of provincial leadership transformation from 1990 to 2013 and the role of human capital and social capital in the promotion dynamics. By applying event history analysis, this thesis also contributes to the empirical studies of Chinese elite mobility and stratification by providing insights into the promotion dynamics from a life course perspective and through historical comparisons of promotion models in the pre-Jiang era (before 1990) and under the Jiang period (1990-2002). The major findings in this thesis show that Chinese provincial leadership transformation is characterized by the emergence of technocrats in the 1990s and the rise of career bureaucrats since 2000. In the investigation of political upward mobility processes, provincial leaders are considered as fast runners in mobility competitions across administrative ranks. In the analyses of promotion dynamics, both human capital and social capital are responsible for upward mobility in Chinese politics. Specifically, relative to high school or below, higher education is significantly rewarded in career advancement within the political hierarchy. The impact of specific educational degrees on promotion differs modestly. Political officials trained in science and engineering are not distinguished from those majoring in humanities and social sciences in promotion dynamics. Public service seniority plays an important role in political upward mobility. Social capital contributes to the promotion dynamics towards different administrative ranks in a similar way. In addition, the promotion analyses also demonstrate the historical persistence and changes in the career rewards for either human capital or social capital. There are significant variations in the impact of educational levels between the rank-specific promotion dynamics before and under Jiang. However, the rank-specific promotion dynamics before and under Jiang tend to be similar regarding the effects of academic disciplines, public service seniority and social capital. Based on these findings, the provincial leadership transformation in this thesis is interpreted by the institutional mechanisms of leadership selection and cadre management. Individual life chances for political leaders--such as education and career opportunities--are shaped by the macro-sociopolitical transformation and the state policy shifts in China.

Lin, Rongrong

Dryburgh, Marjorie

Zhang, Zhong

University of Sheffield

Electronic name

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y