本書解釋了統治中國的技術官僚階級的動蕩起源。通過引人入勝的敘述,作者回溯了彼此敵視的兩大群體—1949年奪得政權但缺少知識的農民革命家與舊中國政權的知識精英—最終聚合為一個新的掌控階級的過程。在中共政權建立之初, 毛澤東和共產黨剝奪了有產階級的資產,並採取激進的措施以剷除教育造成的階級差別,這一做法加劇了新政治精英與舊文化精英之間的對抗。然而,在文革中毛澤東對兩大群體的攻擊,卻促成了精英團體之間的團結。在毛去世後,這又為融合了政治和文化資源的新階級的鞏固鋪平了道路。本書以對清華大學的個案研究為基礎。清華作為中國最精英的理工學府,始終位於上述變革與衝突的中心,並培養出大批黨所倚重的技術官僚,其中包括許多現任國家領導人。透過清華剖析技術官僚階級的起源,構成了本書獨特的視角。在近年來我所閱讀過的關於中國的研究成果中,此乃佳作之一。安戈 Jonathan Unger( 澳洲國立大學)此項關於在中國建立和培養一支精英技術官僚隊伍的研究,就如同一部講述共產主義革命興衰的編年史。安舟深入探索了中國政治研究領域近年來常被忽視的權力結構問題,且細緻分析了文化大革命對新舊精英融合具有諷刺性的促成作用。德里克 Arif DirlikA
Andreas describes the new and old political/cultural elite before and after the Chinese Communist takeover, and how the Cultural Revolution leads to the establishment of a new elite class that includes members of both the revolutionary elites and pre-revolutionary elites. Excellently written--informative without being too dense or erudite, with compelling case studies and interviews. A must-read for anyone interested in modern China.
One of the best books I've read on Chinese history. Uses a Bourdieu-influenced conception of class to study the shift in China - and by proxy, other Leninist party-states - from genuinely mass-focused to pure technocracy. Andreas is clearly sympathetic to some of the Cultural Revolution's goals, if not the ways in which they tried to achieve them, but he hardly slanders the technocrats who won. The focus on Tsinghua is particularly brilliant, both due to its continued importance (Xi is a graduate!) and its exemplary place within Chinese education. This period is just so gripping, and always reveals more complexities, destroying any simple partisan narrative of betrayal or heroism.
The book is an amazing piece on how sociologists read history. Andreas provides a compelling narrative where sociological concerns (class distinctions among new political elites and old cultural elites) originated from Marxist ideology/utopia translate into political movements (e.g., Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution). On the other hand, the class dichotomy, along with a carefully tailored historical narrative, leaves me wonder what potential alternative explanations may look like.
You be reading this book and ur like damn this shit goes hard and then you be reading this book and you’re like damn this shit does not address why class society was reproduced at all but rather why that class society took the form of technocratic rule. And it does the latter very well. But it said it would do the former, and it simply does not.
I wont lie i did not like this book but it did make me be jealous that i never went and did stem at tsinghua university so i could become the next top ccp official
This book brings forward some great research and analysis on class structures, education policy, and politics in China during the socialist era (pre-1976). It draws on a lots of interesting interviews, primary texts and data-sets, and original research. The thesis, that China's "new class" of ruling elites was drawn from a merging of old educated elites and new political party elites, was argued very persuasively. The book is written very well, in a clear and concise manner, and takes time to explain political science and sociology frameworks that it draws on, as well as the basic background history and politics necessary to understand what's going on.
I would have liked to see more analysis and commentary on the technical/scientific/engineering dimensions of the projects the book lightly covers, such as the experimental nuclear reactor, or the factories and foundries and shops that were established at Tsinghua during the Cultural Revolution; indeed, I had originally thought that the book was going to be much more about the way engineering and science changed during China's socialist era. But this is ultimately outside the scope of the book, so I guess my fault for not reading the back of the book too closely :(