Research On The Function Of The Peasant Association In Taiwan Rural Governance

Since the 1970 s, Taiwan has completed the transformation of the economic structure over the last three decades, from an agricultural economy to an industrial economy, from the traditional small-scale farming operations to a modernized one. Taiwan's peasant associations in rural development and rural governance have achieved great success. In this process, the role of the Taiwanese peasant associations as civil society organizations, as well as important participants, cannot be ignored. A thorough study of the functions and the roles of the associations in Taiwan rural governance can contribute to the understanding of Taiwan's grassroots community. Meanwhile, the Taiwanese peasant associations have a century of history in the long process of development, and have accumulated rich experience in asset and rural governance system, both from theoretical and practical level. Therefore, the study of them can help to optimize the mainland rural governance mechanism.This present article will study the functions of the peasant associations in the governance process of Taiwanese rural areas. On the foundation of the research done in Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, this article will use the third sector theory and social capital theory as the theoretical support, and use literature, history observation and field research methods, for exploring how the peasant associations have played the roles in their history of one hundred years. Firstly, the article will sort out the organizations, the development, and the reform of the Taiwanese peasant associations by studying their development history. Secondly, the article will analyze the specific features of rural governance in Taiwan, explain their political, economic, social and educational functions, and comment on the effectiveness of peasant associations. Thirdly, the specific rural governance routes of the associations, and their relationships with the government will be studied. Fourthly, the challenges and the difficulties that the Taiwanese peasant associations are faced with will be discussed. Finally, the article will attempt to summarize the rural governance experience of the Taiwanese peasant associations, and to combine it with the specific experience of the Chinese rural areas for offering some suggestions on the community organizations in the Chinese mainland, and hopefully contributing to its rural management.It cannot be denied that the experience of the Taiwanese agricultural associations can be inspirational and helpful, although the political systems and the concepts of governance in the Chinese mainland are somewhat different, and the usefulness of the experience of the Taiwanese peasant associations is still in the process of studying.