Description
Book SynopsisDelving into the online and offline conversations of Beijing communities affected by waste incinerator projects slated for their backyards, Jean Yen-chun Lin demonstrates how a rising middle class acquires the capacity for organizing in an authoritarian context.
Trade ReviewBy offering a textured account of the way space enables civic life to flourish in China, this beautiful book urgently reminds us that even in nondemocratic contexts, people can do great things when they join together to put their hands on the levers of change. -- Hahrie Han, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Professor of Political Science, Inaugural Director, SNF Agora Institute, Johns Hopkins University
Transcending conventional depictions of environmental justice politics,
A Spark in the Smokestacks provides a rich and compelling portrait of how three communities in Beijing were able to mobilize their civic capacity to fight environmental harms. Lin’s impressive study deserves broad attention in sociology, political science, environmental studies, and beyond. -- Edward T. Walker, author of
Grassroots for Hire: Public Affairs Consultants in American DemocracyBy systematically examining the intersection of environmental activism and the development of middle-class communities in China,
A Spark in the Smokestacks offers fresh evidence and original insights on a very important topic. Lin’s extensive and systematic comparative analysis and prolonged fieldwork have produced rich empirical evidence and in-depth analysis. This book will be a welcome and valuable addition to the fields of China studies and contentious politics. -- Xi Chen, author of
Social Protest and Contentious Authoritarianism in ChinaTable of ContentsPreface
Introduction
1. A Stench on Success: Urban Middle-Class Homeowners and Rising Environmental Challenges
2. Gated Communities as Schools of Democracy
3. Making Sense of External Threats: Individual, Collective, and Representative Responses
4. Mobilizing and Organizing for Environmental Collective Action
5. Trajectories of Citizen Science
6. Consequences of Community Environmental Organizing
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
