Contemporary Economic Transition Of Ethnic Villages

Based on the investigation data of Chinese ethnic villages which organized and completed by Yunnan University in 2000 and 2003, and consulting some relevant study data of ethnic villages as well as some first-hand field study data, this paper explores the foundation, cause, motive force, feature and approach of the contemporary economic transition of Chinese ethnic villages. During the 60 years'developing process, the economy of Chinese ethnic villages experiences a tough progress which changed from multiform economic pattern to an integrated one and then transferred the ossified integrated pattern into a diversified developing route. No matter which part it belongs to, the change and transformation of the economy of ethnic villages totally relies on the development of the society, politics and economy of the whole country.China has a long history, and possesses diversified ethnic minorities and different forms of society in borderland. Meanwhile, different villages perform differently on the economic development. All these constitute the foundation and limitation of the economic development of the ethnic villages.After analyzing the transition of contemporary ethnic villages, it concludes that limited resource, social crisis consciousness and individual living pressure are the internal factors and driving force of the economic transition of ethnic villages; the change of political institution, the favour of state policy, market-oriented development, globalization and the allocation of resources are the external motive force.Contemporary economic transition of ethnic villages takes on the form of multiple characteristics, and these characteristics can be understood through its history, structure, relevance, etc. From 1950s to the early years of 1980s, the economic transformation of Chinese ethnic villages was mainly under the guide of the reformation of relations of production, which started from the restructuring of private economy and finally ended with the establishment of public economy. After 1980s, economic transformation transferred to acknowledge the importance of individual interest more than the common interest; to change the main trend of reforming relations of production to profit-oriented operation, technical combination and market participation; man's behavior never appeared as the transformation of the whole group but as the reasonable individual choice. Chinese ethnic villages whose basic economic structure consist of fishing, hunting, collecting, animal husbandry and farming has gained a great change during these 50 years'economic transformation.With reference to the essence of the development of ethnic villages, the 30 years since the Reform and Opening Policy has been the period on which ethnic villages achieve much more effective development. The achievements cover many fields including the improvement of productivity, the enlargement of social contact, the transition of developing pattern and the improvement of people's life. In a word, since the Reform and Opening Policy, the transition ofChinese ethnic villages has been mainly influenced by the change of social institution, and the economic activities of ethnic villages become more lively and diversified with the general adoption of the market principle; what's more, the commercialization of ethnic culture which under the condition of modern market presents as an additional important way to develop ethnic economy.