Ph.d. pre-defence seminar "Hegemony and governance in China's political economy: Party, state, and SOEs"

Ph.d. pre-defence by Nis Grünberg

Working title:
Hegemony and governance in China's political economy: Party, state, and SOEs
This project consists of a series of papers, revolving around the core theme of the Chinese Party-state's hegemonic position in the organization of economy, and society at large. China's successful and continued economic rise under an authoritarian regime has led to questions about organization of and power relations among the spheres of state, economy, and society. Especially state-owned enterprises (SOES) have been singled out as symptomatic for the "transgression" of the Party-state into the spheres of economy and society. Through a historical, institutional perspective the papers first explore China as a particular field in terms of organization and Party-led governance. Fusing Chinese sources, Gramscian state theory, and insights from comparative capitalism literature, I develop a novel notion of the Chinese Party-state and its political economy as a variegated hegemonic field, that integrates political, economic, and social objectives beyond the Weberian state - society divide. In a case study I illustrated how "one" national SOE (China National Petroleum Corporation) in practice is a vast and networked organization, embedded in both the central Party-state as well as hundreds of localities, where it negotiates its functions as economic, political and social actor.
Discussants:
Peer Hull Kristensen, Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Organization, CBS
Heike Holbig, Professor, German Institute of Global and Area Studies, Hamburg