Dynamism and Development: Economic Growth and Social Change in Post-Mao China

As China enters into the seventeenth year of reform, the success of its economic policies has been widely recognised. This paper examines the theme of dynamism and development by examining the link between economic growth and social change. The first half of the paper discusses the social effects of rapid growth. In the second half, an area example, that of the Pearl River Delta, is offered to illustrate some of the growth-related issues and the relationship with social development, with particular reference to the question whether China has become a “risk society” resulting from “rush-to” modernisation. The authors argue that rapid economic growth may not bring about social progress, but rather, create ineffective social management if development is not conceived from a holistic and comprehensive perspective. Therefore, we must examine social development and economic growth as interrelated phenomena, paying particular attention to complementarity in public policy, social development, and market-related economic intervention.