A Study On The Governing Foundation Of The CPC Under The Background Of Social Stratum Structure Transformation

This thesis analyzes the immanent relevance between the social stratum structure in contemporary China and the governing foundation of the CPC from the aspects of theory, history and actuality. By utilizing the Marxist Theory of Social Class and the Theory of Party Building, the thesis summarizes and analyzes the development and change of China’s new social strata since the reform and opening-up so as to explore the various factors affecting the governing foundation of the CPC fully and historically. The thesis proceeds to advance some theories in favor of the consolidation and innovation of the foundation of the Party’s governance and reflect on their feasibility in terms of the class foundation, the mass base, the ideological foundation as well as the organizational foundation of the Party. With a strong sense of guidance to the reality, the research will undoubtedly help expand the field of Party Building Studies and deepen the Governance Theory Studies via a combination of macroscopic survey and microscopic demonstration, logical reasoning and history review, as well as a rational borrowing of theoretical approaches from related disciplines.The thesis is composed of six chapters, including the introduction, the body and the conclusion.Chapter one is introduction, which covers analysis of concepts, academic summary and basic theories. The section expounds the reason of conducting the research, the background and the significance of the topic selection, analyzes relevant notional categories, summarizes pertinent academic trends both at home and abroad over the past two decades, and describes the principal research approach and the frame structure of the thesis. More importantly, by elaborating the theories and research approaches on social structure, social stratification and the governing foundation of the proletarian party advanced by Marxist classical writers and by reviewing representative theories of social stratification, party theories and corresponding theoretical evolvement in the West, the chapter aims to build up a analytical framework of the study of China’s social stratum structure shift since the founding of the People’s Republic, thereby bringing to light the impact and challenge been brought to the governing foundation of the CPC.Chapter two observes the social stratum structure and its transformation in modern China, the evolution of the governing foundation of the CPC and the immanent relevance between the two on a diachronic basis. The chapter also sorts out the local foundation of the CPC’s governance in the period of the democratic revolution, investigates the formation and development of the class structure in Chinese society between 1949 and 1978, and explores the CPC’s historical experience in adjusting and reforming the social structure. On this premise, the chapter proceeds to conduct a comprehensive historical investigation on the Party’s governance in terms of the class foundation, the mass base, the social foundation, the organizational foundation and the theoretical basis etc. and draw a lesson for the consolidation of the CPC’s governing foundation thereby.Chapter three analyzes China’s social structure shift in the new period and the comprehensive and profound impact it exerts on the governing foundation of the CPC. With a dynamic investigation on the makeup of China’s social interest relations, the mechanism of social stratum differentiation and the diversified social stratum structure, the chapter uncovers the historical connections between the process of China’s reform and opening-up and the differentiation and formation of China’s social stratum structure. The chapter also expurgates the existing differentiation and class ascription of China’s social stratum, defines the role of new social stratum in China’s economic and social development, and explores the traits and trend of China’s social structure change. On this basis, the chapter further explores the deep influences and challenges China’s social structure change has confronted the Party’s governing foundation since the reform and opening-up in three aspects:the complexity and diversity of the contradictions among the people during the interest structure change of the society, the emerging issues of social stability and the validity of the regime in the course of social interest patterns shift, as well as the profound changes of the Party’s governing foundation at a new historical starting line. Chapter four emphasizes the inner structure shifting of the Chinese working class and the consolidation of the Party’s governing foundation in the new period on the basis of statistics from literature review. The chapter explores the maintenance and development of the working class’s role as the progressive vanguard when the inner strata of the working class are dividing and the position shifting. The chapter also analyzes the problem of rural migrant workers, the division of the intellectual class and the concomitant impact on the class basis of the CPC. The chapter also touches upon the issue of consolidating the class basis of the Party’s governance under the circumstance of market economy, benefit division, social development and the like.Chapter five places extra emphasis on the mass base issue of the governance of the CPC in light of the new social stratum. The chapter conducts a dynamic exploration into the basic composition and features of the Party’s mass base since the reform and opening-up, and stresses that the new social stratum is an important social foundation of the Party’s governance; therefore it is of immense necessity to reinforce the political guidance and absorption of figures in the non-public economic sectors and the self-employed, to expand citizens’ participation in political affairs in an orderly way, to establish a closer affinity between the Party and the people, to ensure that the ruling party function effectively in integrating social benefits, and to propel social construction as solution to the livelihood issues, so as to enhance the public consent and the social foundation of the governance of the CPC.Chapter six explores the influence on the entire organizational system of the ruling party (especially on the grassroots organization of the Party) exerted by the social stratum structure change in the new period. Focused on the fact that the Party confronts myriads of challenges from the organizational environment change on the grass-root level, the weakness and laxity in the rural grassroots organizations and the traditional construction pattern of the grass-root Party organizations, the chapter mainly discusses the strategy selection and implementation method to consolidate and innovate the organizational foundation of the Party’s governance and touches upon current problems in strengthening and improving the construction of Party organizations in communities, new economic organizations and social intermediaries. The conclusion conveys three main ideas:firstly, the ruling party should be mindful of potential perils and fulfill its duty in prospering the Party. Additionally, the Party should organize, survey and analyze the forepast and present foundations of its governance, be it constant or changed. In view of the epoch feature of the present times, the international situation, the social transformation and the changes within the Party itself, the Party should also conduct a dynamic and systematic analysis of the social infrastructures and psycho-social factors so as to explore the laws on governance by the CPC on a new historical starting point. Secondly, it is of great necessity to probe the immanent relevance between the consolidation of the class basis, the expansion of the mass base, the innovation of the organizational foundation and the reinforcement of the theoretical basis of the Party. It is also essential to respond to some controversial academic issues on the front line so as to further reflect on the strategy selection and the implementation method in consolidating and innovating the governing foundation of the CPC. Last but not least, we must utilize the innovation theory and important strategic thinking of the Party to grasp their directive significance toward the consolidation and innovation of the governing foundation of the Party, so as to extend the research in context of the Chinalization and modernization of Marxism thus to render the topic a quality of theoretical tension and investigative sustainability.