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Favour and Power in the Acquaintance Society: Interpreting a Conflict in White Deer Plain

Received: 28 December 2020    Accepted: 11 January 2021    Published: 28 January 2021
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Abstract

The White Deer Plain constructs an ideal acquaintance society. The conflict over Widow Li’s 0.24 hectares of irrigated land between Bai Jiaxuan and Lu Zilin is a typical case in such society. Combining Chinese local historical facts with the text of White Deer Plain, the sociological method is used to analyze this dispute, and the following conclusions can be drawn: First, “Face”is still highly valued in rural China; Second, As the villagers are closely bonded in agricultural life, neither the participants nor the on-lookers want to destroy the harmonious relations; Third, When there is a dispute, villagers tend to mediate through a third party, because it relatively doesn’t destroy the existing harmonious relationship. The key to third party mediation is to find an authoritative mediator who is good at observing the thoughts of both parties in a dispute. In this novel, the conflict between Bai Jiaxuan and Lu Zilin is solved smoothly, because Mr. Zhu's prestige, as well as Mr. Zhu's personal letters meet the psychological demands of Bai Jiaxuan and Lu Zilin. After Bai Jiaxuan and Lu Zilin apologized to each other and agreed to waive the debt of Widow Li, peace returned to the Plain. But new interpersonal “debts” and “returns” with no fixed term emerge. The significance of this conclusion is that it can be used as a reference to solve the conflict in China's rural areas.

Published in International Journal of Law and Society (Volume 4, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijls.20210401.13
Page(s) 23-27
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

White Deer Plain, Conflicts, Acquaintance Society, Meditation, Rural Conflicts

References
[1] Chen Zhongshi. White Deer Plain [M]. Beijing: Beijing October Literature and Art, 2011, P. 47. Note: the original texts quoted by this article are all from this White Deer Plain and will not be listed separately here.
[2] Yu yuhe. Family Rules and Village Governance --Taking White Deer Plain as an Example [J]. Jiangsu Social Sciences, 2019 (1): 12-18.
[3] Wang Liman. Image of Power: Spatial Poetic Interpretation of the Ancestral Hall in White Deer Plain [J]. Novel Comments, 2020 (1): 34-38.
[4] Ming Enpu. Characteristics of Chinese People [M]. Beijing: Jinghua Publishing House, 2002, P. 3.
[5] Lu Xun. On “Face” [M]. Complete Works of Lu Xun (6) [C]. Beijing: People’s Literature Publishing House, 2005, P. 130.
[6] Lin Yutang. The Chinse People [M]. Beijing: Xuelin Publishing House, 1994, P. 203.
[7] Huang Guangguo & Hu Xianjin. Favor and Face: Power Game of Chinese [M]. Beijing: China Renmin University Press, 2010, P. 21; P. 22; P. 31.
[8] Chen Zhongshi. Searching for Your Own Words [M]. Shanghai: Shanghai Literature and Art Publishing House, 2009, P. 43; P. 9; P. 31.
[9] Fei Xiaotong. From the Soil —The Foundations of Chinese Society [M]. Beijing: Jiangsu Literature and Art Publishing House, 2011, P. 9; P. 79.
[10] Han Jiawei. Metaphors, Rhetoric and Central Shaanxi Plain Culture of White Deer Plain [J]. Data of Culture and Education, 2016 (24): 12-13.
[11] Chen Baifeng. Rural Underworld: A Study of “Gangsters” in the Two-Lake Plain [M]. Beijing: China University of Political Science and Law Press, 2019, PP. 50–51; P. 52.
[12] Chen Baifeng. Violence and Humiliation: Dispute Settlement in Chen Village [J]. Law and Social Sciences, 2006 (6): 23-31.
[13] Ma Shutong. Strategy Choice for Rural Dispute Settlement and Justification in the Context of “Modern Acquaintance Society” [J]. Hubei Social Sciences, 2018 (2).
[14] Xiao Jianguo. Axiology of Civil Procedures [M]. Beijing: China Renmin University Press, 2000, PP. 34-36.
[15] Bai Xingjian. Three Dreams [M]. Shuofu Volume 4 [C]. Complete Library in the Four Branches of Literature of the Imperial Library.
[16] Cheng Qiang & Dong Naibin. Spiritual Civilization of the Tang Dynasty: Folklore and Literature [M]. Beijing: China Social Sciences Press, 1996, P. 151.
[17] Wang Mingming & Wang Sifu. Order, Justice and Authority of Rural Society [M]. Beijing: China University of Political Science and Law Press, 1997, P. 259.
[18] (German) Max Weber. Economy and Society (Volume 1) [M]. Beijing: The Commercial Press, 1997, PP 274-329.
[19] (French) Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie. Montaillou [M]. Beijing: The Commercial Press, 2016, P. 111.
[20] Liu Gang & Wang Fang. Public Power and Authority in the Mediation of Rural Disputes: An Investigation and Analysis of A Dispute over Farmland [J]. China Agricultural Observation, 2008 (11): 58-66.
[21] Zhao Xudong. Power and Justice: Dispute Settlement and Authority Diversity in Rural Society [M]. Tianjin: Tianjin Ancient Books Publishing House, 2003, PP. 271–272.
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  • APA Style

    Meng Yuzhong. (2021). Favour and Power in the Acquaintance Society: Interpreting a Conflict in White Deer Plain. International Journal of Law and Society, 4(1), 23-27. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20210401.13

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    ACS Style

    Meng Yuzhong. Favour and Power in the Acquaintance Society: Interpreting a Conflict in White Deer Plain. Int. J. Law Soc. 2021, 4(1), 23-27. doi: 10.11648/j.ijls.20210401.13

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    AMA Style

    Meng Yuzhong. Favour and Power in the Acquaintance Society: Interpreting a Conflict in White Deer Plain. Int J Law Soc. 2021;4(1):23-27. doi: 10.11648/j.ijls.20210401.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijls.20210401.13,
      author = {Meng Yuzhong},
      title = {Favour and Power in the Acquaintance Society: Interpreting a Conflict in White Deer Plain},
      journal = {International Journal of Law and Society},
      volume = {4},
      number = {1},
      pages = {23-27},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijls.20210401.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijls.20210401.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijls.20210401.13},
      abstract = {The White Deer Plain constructs an ideal acquaintance society. The conflict over Widow Li’s 0.24 hectares of irrigated land between Bai Jiaxuan and Lu Zilin is a typical case in such society. Combining Chinese local historical facts with the text of White Deer Plain, the sociological method is used to analyze this dispute, and the following conclusions can be drawn: First, “Face”is still highly valued in rural China; Second, As the villagers are closely bonded in agricultural life, neither the participants nor the on-lookers want to destroy the harmonious relations; Third, When there is a dispute, villagers tend to mediate through a third party, because it relatively doesn’t destroy the existing harmonious relationship. The key to third party mediation is to find an authoritative mediator who is good at observing the thoughts of both parties in a dispute. In this novel, the conflict between Bai Jiaxuan and Lu Zilin is solved smoothly, because Mr. Zhu's prestige, as well as Mr. Zhu's personal letters meet the psychological demands of Bai Jiaxuan and Lu Zilin. After Bai Jiaxuan and Lu Zilin apologized to each other and agreed to waive the debt of Widow Li, peace returned to the Plain. But new interpersonal “debts” and “returns” with no fixed term emerge. The significance of this conclusion is that it can be used as a reference to solve the conflict in China's rural areas.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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    AU  - Meng Yuzhong
    Y1  - 2021/01/28
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    JF  - International Journal of Law and Society
    JO  - International Journal of Law and Society
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    AB  - The White Deer Plain constructs an ideal acquaintance society. The conflict over Widow Li’s 0.24 hectares of irrigated land between Bai Jiaxuan and Lu Zilin is a typical case in such society. Combining Chinese local historical facts with the text of White Deer Plain, the sociological method is used to analyze this dispute, and the following conclusions can be drawn: First, “Face”is still highly valued in rural China; Second, As the villagers are closely bonded in agricultural life, neither the participants nor the on-lookers want to destroy the harmonious relations; Third, When there is a dispute, villagers tend to mediate through a third party, because it relatively doesn’t destroy the existing harmonious relationship. The key to third party mediation is to find an authoritative mediator who is good at observing the thoughts of both parties in a dispute. In this novel, the conflict between Bai Jiaxuan and Lu Zilin is solved smoothly, because Mr. Zhu's prestige, as well as Mr. Zhu's personal letters meet the psychological demands of Bai Jiaxuan and Lu Zilin. After Bai Jiaxuan and Lu Zilin apologized to each other and agreed to waive the debt of Widow Li, peace returned to the Plain. But new interpersonal “debts” and “returns” with no fixed term emerge. The significance of this conclusion is that it can be used as a reference to solve the conflict in China's rural areas.
    VL  - 4
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Author Information
  • Ministry of Public Foundation, Zhejiang Police School, Hangzhou, China

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