The Emergence and Transformation of AIDS Advocacy in China, 1989-2012 by Yan Long A dissertat

381 Pages·2013·6.11 MB·English

by  Yan Long

Constructing Political Actorhood:
The Emergence and Transformation of AIDS Advocacy in China, 1989-2012

by

Yan Long

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
(Sociology and Women’s Studies)
in The University of Michigan
2013

Doctoral Committee:

Associate Professor Elizabeth A. Armstrong, Co-Chair
Associate Professor Wang Zheng, Co-Chair
Associate Professor Kiyoteru Tsutsui
Associate Professor Mark Padilla, Florida International University
© Yan Long
2013
To My Parents, Shuyu Zhao and Wen Long

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

During the process of writing this dissertation, I have accumulated numerous
debts to people who participated in the research. Although their real names cannot be
revealed, I want to express my gratitude and love for those people who welcomed me
into their workdays and lives. Nothing I can write could possibly convey my utmost
respect and admiration for the passion, encouragement, and inspiration they have given,
which has made me a better researcher and person. I can only hope that my research
will contribute to their fight even in some small way.
The path of completing my dissertation has been a long and eventful journey. I
certainly would not be leaving Michigan with a Ph.D. without my dissertation co-chairs,
Wang Zheng and Elizabeth A. Armstrong. Wang Zheng has been with me almost every
step of my entire graduate career from orientation and coursework to the last stage of
the dissertation. She was patient enough to stick with me as I made mistakes and
wavered in my research interests. As an incredible activist and historian, Wang Zheng
has had a formative influence on both this dissertation project and on my graduate
school training in general. She exposed me to political and cultural dilemmas inside
transnational activism, sparking my intellectual curiosity in the politics of globalization,
democracy, development, and empowerment. We also had many long discussions about
structural continuity and transformation in China’s politics and society. The penchant I
have for historical perspectives, I owe to Wang Zheng. I must also thank her for being a

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nurturing advisor. She opened her home to me so I had a place to go to on holidays, and
she checked on me every day during the most difficult period of my fieldwork.
I was very fortunate to meet Elizabeth when I was considering leaving the
graduate program. She asked me to submit 10 pages of writing every week, a task that
helped me to start working my way through a huge amount of empirical data. Since
then, Elizabeth has been an extraordinary advisor. She has contributed immeasurably to
the way I approach the craft of sociology, pushing me towards big ideas, analytical
precision, and conceptual clarity. Elizabeth understood not only what I was trying to
accomplish, but also my working process. I can always count on her for theoretically
sharp and intellectually creative responses to my ideas, no matter how muddy and rough
they may be at first. In fact, Elizabeth seemed to see as much, if not more promise in
this research as I did. Her confidence was what inspired me to go forward, despite many
challenges. I also want to note the fact that Elizabeth has a scholarly openness and
magnanimity that seems uncommon. As a superlative sociologist, she is genuinely
enthusiastic about interdisciplinary conversations and capable of thinking outside the
box. Without her support, I would not have dared to take many of the risks involved in
completing this dissertation.
I also wish to acknowledge my two committee members for their contributions.
Kiyoteru Tsutsui encouraged me to draw insights from a wide range of disciplines and
areas of thinking about globalization during the early stage of my research. I must also
thank Kiyoteru for his advice over the years, and for coming to my rescue in the worst
times during my graduate career. He granted me more kindness and generosity than I
could have hoped for. Mark Padilla was the one who introduced me to the world of

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public health. His visions for global health and concerns with the cultural politics of
health intervention at the local level have shaped my own, and have stayed with me
through my fieldwork and writing.
I came of age in a transformative epoch in the history of modern Chinese
politics and society. It is, thus, ironic that I found the language to articulate my
intellectual interest in transnationalism, culture and politics not in China, but Ann
Arbor. The University of Michigan provided me with an unparalleled home with its
exceptional intellectual communities and resources. The nature of the joint program in
Sociology and Women’s Studies has impressed upon me the benefits of studying
institutions and conflicts through dialogue with a range of disciplines. I would like to
thank all the professors who had an important impact on my intellectual development at
different stages of my graduate study, especially Pär Cassel, Robert Jansen, Noriko
Kamachi, Mary Gallagher, Michael Kennedy, Howard Kimeldorf, Jayati Lal, Ching-
Kwan Lee, Lydia Li, and Margaret Somers.
I had the good fortune of being able to present earlier versions of this work in
numerous contexts. The Power, History, and Social Change graduate student workshop
was one of the most dynamic and friendly research groups I have experienced and
helped to nurture my love for macro-sociology. I also benefited from comments and
critiques made by participants at the Young Scholars in Social Movements Mini-
Conference at Notre Dame University, the Dissertation Writing Institute at the
University of Michigan, and the Illinois/Indiana Dissertation Workshop on Chinese
Law, Conflict, and Society at the Illinois/Indiana East Asia National Resource Center
Consortium.

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Many institutions and foundations provided generous funding and administrative
support for my fieldwork research and dissertation writing: Center for Chinese Studies,
Department of Sociology, Department of Women’s Studies, Institute for Research on
Women and Gender, International Institute, Rackham School of Graduate Studies, and
Sweetland Center for Writing at the University of Michigan; Harvard-Yenching
Institute in Cambridge, MA; the National Science Foundation in Arlington, VA; and the
Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation for International Scholarly Exchange in Taiwan. Patricia
Preston, Aimee Germain, and the whole Center for Chinese Studies staff deserve special
mention for their professionalism and compassion. Their support, along with the
Sociological Undergraduate Research Opportunity program, allowed me to recruit
research assistants in both the United States and China.
Conducting this research would not have been possible without the help of three
people. Claire Moses introduced me to the University of Michigan and American
academia in general. Over the past nine years, we have exchanged many long e-mails.
She always replied to my questions promptly with detailed illustrations, consistent
encouragement, and insightful wisdom. My very first contact with AIDS activism in
China was watching Ai Xiaoming’s documentary, Epic of Central Plains. It was after
this that I immediately launched into the pilot research that led to my dissertation
project. Ai Xiaoming’s insights have shaped my inquiry from the very beginning.
Thank you also to my excellent editor, Kim Greenwell, for thoughtfully listening to and
engaging with me as I wrestled with my ideas and for critiquing various iterations of my
writing.

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Many dear friends have sustained me in uncountable ways, making it possible
for this dissertation to see the light of day. They are all exceptionally talented,
kindhearted and strong. I have always been amazed at and thankful for how rich my life
has been as a result of these relationships. For their much needed solidarity, I am
grateful to Mariana Craciun, Maria Farkas, David Flores, Marco Garrido, Susan Hwang,
Yang Jiang, Byungho Lee, Alwyn Lim, Yiching Wu, Yi Yang, and Changdong Zhang.
My lovely friends at the Michigan China Fellows, a Chinese student group for those in
social sciences and humanities, have been my intellectual companions from early on:
Shuang Chen, Haijing Dai, Tiezhu Dong, Shijian Li, Xu Li, Yimin Liu, Xiwen Mai,
Lijing Yang and Meilan Zhang. My dissertation writing group buddies, You-Sun
Crystal Chung, Rebecca Grapevine, Emily Merchant, and Lenny Ureña Valerio, helped
me through the last half year with their comradery and humor. I cannot imagine
finishing the dissertation without them. I am also deeply in debt to my “non-academic”
friends, Yuming Chen, Hailing Cheng, and Ying Zhang, for their affection,
cheerleading, and unconditional support including a constant supply of coffee, food, and
funny jokes.
I have been blessed with the care, affirmation, and love of my fiancé Carrick
Rogers. The past two and a half years, nothing seemed certain or easy. Carrick stood by
my side, nagging me to eat and sleep, reading and listening to multiple versions of
chapters again and again, and holding my hands in those days and nights. He may not
understand why I chose sociology, but he patiently observed my progress and took pride
in my every achievement, no matter how trivial. His love is the most precious treasure I

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found in the United States. My soon-to-be-in-laws, Anne and Patrick, have been no less
supportive and accommodating.
My greatest debt is owed to my parents living in China, Shuyu Zhao and Wen
Long. My mother was diagnosed with lung cancer when I first started my fieldwork and
she has been fighting to see me finishing this dissertation. This dissertation is dedicated
to my parents for all the suffering and expenses they had to bear in order for me to
pursue this adventure, grow, and explore the way of living in this world that I have
selfishly chosen.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii

LIST OF FIGURES x

LIST OF TABLES xi

LIST OF APPENDICES xii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

 xiii

ABSTRACT

 xv

CHAPTERS
1. Introduction: The Paradox of AIDS Activism in China

 1
2. Building AIDS Governance in China: The Dictator’s Dilemma

 37
3. Resisting Transnational Diffusion: Failed Early AIDS Advocacy Initiatives,
1989-1999

 72

4. Making Transnational Blood Politics: The Emergence of the AIDS Movement,
1999-2003

 125

5. After the Boomerang: The “NGO-ization” of the AIDS Movement,
2004-2007

 185

6. Authoritarian Consolidation: The Fragmentation and Decline of AIDS Activism,
2008-2012

 237

7. Conclusion: Challenging or Defending Authoritarian Rule?

 299

APPENDICES

 312

REFERENCES

 346

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