Browsing by Subject "Survival strategies"
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item From growth-based to people-centered : how Chinese leaders have modified their governing strategies to sustain legitimacy in the reform era(2013-12) Zhang, Wenjie, active 2013; Galbraith, James K.This dissertation analyzes changes in the ruling strategies of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the context of economic reforms, beginning in 1978. By employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, this dissertation investigates how Chinese leaders have utilized legitimating strategies, while modifying their governing strategies, in order to a) solidify the population, b) consolidate ruling authority and c) maintain political and social stability. Specifically, this dissertation looks at how Chinese policymakers have developed effective public policies in response to rapidly rising wage inequality, one of the most pressing problems undermining the CCP’s ruling authority. By providing an original estimate of China’s wage inequality and analyzing the government’s response to it, this dissertation provides a unique look at how the CCP has transformed government functions from growth-based to people-centered to meet various social, political and economic challenges. A comparative statistical analysis helps illustrate the philosophical roots and sources of the CCP’s political legitimacy. The technique of Theil Statistics is applied to measure China’s wage inequality during the reform period. A multivariate hierarchical regression analysis is employed to measure the impact of rising inequality on Chinese society. Two models on social welfare system reform are studied in order to understand Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao’s people-centered governing philosophy and the rationale for constructing a service-oriented government.Item Luchando para salir adelante : economic migration, social ties and poverty resistance strategies of undocumented Latin American immigrants to Texas(2016-05) Scott, Jennifer Lauren; Padilla, Yolanda C.; Auyero, Javier; DiNitto, Diana; Gilbert, Dorie; Villarreal, MagdalenaIn the contemporary context of economic inequality, policies of immigrant exclusion have shifted focus to Latino immigrants, particularly the undocumented. Such policies and the prejudice inspiring them further marginalize undocumented people who are already excluded from formal employment and state resources. Still, over 6 million undocumented Latinos make the U.S. their home. In the face of this social and economic exclusion, how do they survive economically? Research on the ‘survival question’ has shifted over the last several decades from understanding survival as reliant on strong social ties, to weaker ties, to ties considered “disposable.” Is this pattern consistent among all economically excluded groups? This mixed-methods study investigated poverty resistance strategies of undocumented Latino immigrants. I analyzed nationally representative data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation to measure their economic wellbeing. Second, I used thematic analysis of 49 in-depth interviews with undocumented Latinos, informed by observation, to explore their survival strategies use of social ties. Undocumented Latinos were significantly more likely to face hardship measured by direct indicators (material hardship and food insecurity) than their documented counterparts. Social support reduced this likelihood of hardship. La lucha frames participation in economic life by connecting economic experiences to broader economic and sociopolitical forces, to a strategy for coping with life in an increasingly hostile socioeconomic context, and to a goal, salir adelante, to get ahead. Palancas, social ties defined by connections to resources, structure social networks. Their use strengthens access to resources and the connections themselves. Navigating la lucha, undocumented Latinos practice administration to maximize resources from formal sector work and informal sales in conjunction with social ties. The undocumented Latino experience suggests that the prior assessment of increasing reliance on weaker social ties may not be universal among the economically excluded. Although undocumented Latinos may face greater economic hardship, reduction in hardship with social support and reliance on social ties indicates a need for interventions that strengthen ties to reinforce economies of scale. Challenges they face to get ahead point to economic, immigration and social welfare policy reform necessary to ensure their ability to salir adelante out of the shadows.