Developmental Dilemmas

Studying institutional change regardless of whether it is focused on transitional or developing economies, is most fruitful when focused on its structuring of the means of production - land, labor and capital.
Developmental Dilemmas singles out land as an object of study and places it in the context of one of the world's largest and most populous countries undergoing institutional reform, the People's Republic of China. The book demonstrates that private property protected by law, the principle of 'getting-the-prices-right', and the emergence of effectively functioning markets are the outcome of a given society's historical development and institutional fabric. Peter Ho argues that the successful creation of new institutions hinges in part on choice and timing in relation to the particular constellation of societal, economic, political and cultural parameters. Disregarding these could result in rising inequality, bad land stewardship, and the eruption of land-related grievances.
With contributions from a leading team of specialists, this volume offers an authoritative and in-depth analysis of the main constraints in China's land administration; the potential sources of land disputes; the socio-economic impact of agricultural land, forest, and grassland policies; and the alternatives in land tenure that could lead to a socially acceptable, ecologically sustainable and economically viable land use. This volume will be of interest to students of development studies and contemporary China, and will address a wide readership of professionals interested in the economics of transition, legal anthropology, natural resource management, and gender and rural development.