Peasant Action and Agency – Social Structure and the Construction of Specialty Industries: A Case Study of the Developmental Process of “Wuchang Rice”

Abstract This paper examines the collective actions and business strategies of peasants in the Wuchang region (of Heilongjiang) as the rice industry transitioned from large-scale production to brand development. The study finds that the formation of specialty industries is not merely the product of state-led, top-down interventions nor the result of local endogenous forces operating without state support; rather, it is a process of intertwined development. Even during the era of “politics dominating economics,” peasants exerted influence by controlling production volumes, thereby indirectly pressuring the state to adjust policies. As the market emerged, peasants also looked to the state to address new structural issues. The logic of peasant action is closely related to the space available for such action, and peasant agency is not merely a form of “resistance from the weak,” but rather a strategic form of interaction. In certain contexts, the spontaneous actions of individual peasants can also play a catalytic role. The developmental history of “Wuchang rice” is, in fact, a history of the evolving relationship between peasant agency and social structures. The key to fostering positive interaction among the relevant stakeholders lies in achieving a balance between these two forces.