The Fate of the Commune: Decollectivization in China

Did the reforms in the 80s save Chinese agriculture? What were the origins of the reforms and how did they affect what was already in place? In this video, we will talk specifically about the dissolution of the Chinese agricultural commune. We will challenge the dominant narrative that collective agriculture was untenable and that its abolition was spurred on by popular opposition. Obviously, the history of Chinese agriculture cannot be captured in a single video. Our purpose here is not to offer a sweeping, affirmative judgement of one system over another. What this video will hopefully shed light on is the notion that collective agriculture was replaced by something significantly more “efficient“ or robust. -------- Narration, script, and editing by M Animated intro by Jack, co-host of the Auxiliary Statements podcast @AuxStatements on Twitter. Intro music by Charles Tristan: -------- Sources: Eisenman, Joshua. 2018. Red China’s Green Revolution: Technological Innovation, Institutional Change, and Economic Development Under the Commune. N.p.: Columbia University Press. Xu, Zhun. 2018. From Commune to Capitalism: How China’s Peasants Lost Collective Farming and Gained Urban Poverty. N.p.: Monthly Review Press. -------- **FAIR USE** Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.