Doctoral Dissertation Research: The AIDS Movement in China 1989-2009

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SES-1129665Elizabeth ArmstongYan LongUniversity of Michigan Ann ArborDoctoral Dissertation Research: Project SummaryTHE AIDS MOVEMENT IN CHINA 1989-2009Emerging transnational institutions are playing an increasingly significant role in governing public health at the national and local levels. While states continue to be key actors, the new form of health governance involves a broader range of non-state actors and activism. However, some large economies, such as China, are resistant to the enlarged influence of global governance. This project combines comparative historical and ethnography methods to study whether, how, and with what consequences global institutions affect domestic collective action in strong states. Focusing on China, the world's largest authoritarian regime, this project is guided by two research questions: 1) How and why did transitional health institutions promote the rise and proliferation of an AIDS movement in China, despite the growth of domestic political repression during this period? 2) Why did the same process of increasing international engagement for the Chinese AIDS movement result in the expansion of some groups and demobilization of others?The impact of international institutions on domestic politics is of major theoretical interests to many academic fields, such as sociology, political science, international relations, and law. This research project speaks directly to this question, and will make conceptual contribution to both social movement studies specifically, and to globalization and contentious politics literature in general.Broader ImpactPolicy-makers, activists, and scholars have expressed urgency for evaluating current changes in international governance systems. Research on the authoritarian Chinese regime will identify factors that contribute to local political mobilization and the spread of democracy. This project will also help bridge both public dialog and critical academic studies by providing a valid analysis of the political, social and cultural consequences of new institutional arrangements at the global level. In today's world of changing health risks and opportunities, the development of a broader public health governance opens up participation to grassroots groups. This study's findings will make an important intervention in the field of global AIDS by providing insight to funding agencies and health care program designers.