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I am delighted to present Poverty and Pacification: The Chinese State Abandons the Old Working Class for your consideration as a future book club selection. This extraordinary and thought-provoking work examines one of the most pivotal economic transitions of the modern era, revealing the social realities that accompanied China’s rapid march toward market reform and global integration.

Rather than focusing solely on policy outcomes or economic statistics, Dorothy J. Solinger offers a layered and deeply reflective exploration of how national reform reshaped everyday lives. Her study illuminates the intersection between state policy, economic ambition, and the lived experience of workers who found themselves abruptly displaced in the wake of sweeping structural change.

Why This Title Will Resonate Strongly with Your Book Club
1. A Powerful Examination of Modernization and Its Costs

At a time when nations across the globe continue to grapple with the consequences of globalization, privatization, and labor market restructuring, this book provides an indispensable international perspective. In the mid-1990s, as China intensified market reforms and prepared to enter the global economic stage, vast numbers of state-owned enterprises were downsized or dismantled. The result was the layoff of tens of millions of urban employees who had once enjoyed lifetime job guarantees, subsidized housing, and comprehensive social benefits.

Solinger carefully traces how these reforms unfolded and how they transformed the social contract between the state and its citizens. The book challenges readers to reconsider widely celebrated narratives of economic growth by foregrounding the individuals who absorbed the shock of reform. It demonstrates that modernization, while transformative and often beneficial at a macro level, can carry profound consequences for those positioned at its margins.

For book club members interested in examining the broader implications of economic change, this study offers rich and timely material.

2. Substantial Material for Engaging and In-Depth Discussion

One of the book’s greatest strengths is the depth of conversation it invites. It encourages readers to wrestle with layered and often uncomfortable questions, including:

What responsibilities do governments bear toward workers displaced by reform?

Can rapid economic growth justify widespread social dislocation?

Is welfare policy primarily an instrument of compassion, stability, or governance?

How do states maintain legitimacy during periods of structural upheaval?

In what ways do economic systems redefine citizenship and belonging?

Central to the book is the development of China’s Minimum Livelihood Guarantee (dibao), a modest welfare initiative designed to provide limited financial assistance to those left without work. Solinger explores how this program functioned not only as economic relief but also as a mechanism for preserving social order during a volatile period.

These themes will naturally foster thoughtful, multi-perspective discussion among readers drawn to political nonfiction, sociology, economic policy, or international affairs.

3. A Narrative Grounded in Human Experience

Although analytically rigorous, Poverty and Pacification is equally compelling because of its human dimension. Through extensive interviews and firsthand accounts, Solinger brings readers into the lives of former factory workers confronting sudden unemployment and diminished status.

These individuals had built their identities around stable employment within the socialist system. When that structure shifted, many found themselves struggling to adapt in a rapidly changing urban environment. The book portrays their resilience, frustration, uncertainty, and determination with nuance and sensitivity.

This emphasis on personal testimony transforms abstract policy into lived reality. Book club members will not only analyze economic transformation but also engage with the emotional and psychological dimensions of change—making for discussions that are both intellectually substantive and empathetically grounded.

4. Broad Relevance Across Disciplines and Interests

This title offers significant value to book clubs with interests spanning:

Global political systems

Economic restructuring and reform

Labor history and workforce displacement

Social inequality and poverty studies

Asian and Chinese studies

Public policy and governance

Comparative welfare analysis

Its interdisciplinary framework ensures that participants with varied perspectives can contribute meaningfully to the conversation.

Distinctive Insights and Lasting Impact

What distinguishes this work from many other studies of economic reform is its balanced approach. Solinger neither romanticizes the pre-reform system nor simplifies the complexities of modernization. Instead, she examines how large-scale policy shifts reverberate through communities and individual lives.

Her careful evaluation of the dibao program highlights the tension between social support and political stability, prompting readers to consider how welfare initiatives function within broader governance strategies. By centering the “old working class” in her analysis, she restores visibility to a group often overshadowed in narratives of national success.

The book ultimately encourages reflection on how societies define progress and how they measure its true cost.

Discussion Prompts for Your Club

To enhance engagement, your group may wish to consider:

How should societies balance innovation and economic growth with social protection?

Does the introduction of limited welfare adequately address structural unemployment?

How might similar patterns of labor displacement be observed in other countries?

What ethical considerations should guide policymakers during periods of reform?

Can modernization be inclusive, or does it inevitably produce winners and losers?

In sum, Poverty and Pacification offers more than a historical account of Chinese reform; it presents a thoughtful exploration of state responsibility, economic ambition, and human resilience in times of sweeping change. It is precisely the kind of work that sustains meaningful discussion long after the final page is turned.

I would be pleased to discuss placement opportunities further and to provide additional materials—including discussion guides, contextual overviews, and thematic summaries—to support your book club’s engagement with this important work.

Thank you sincerely for your time and consideration.
Poverty and Pacification: The Chinese State Abandons the Old Working ClassDorothy J. Solinger