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Intended and actual use of civil dispute resolution in contemporary China

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Abstract

Along with economic reform, civil dispute resolution in China has developed into many channels. Utilizing representative data from a nationwide survey, this study examined which dispute resolution channels people actually used or intended to use and what factors were associated with their choices. The results showed that Chinese people responded to civil disputes in various ways, and the disparity between the intention and action was huge. Both the intended and actual use of the law varied based on gender and education. In addition, income, being farmers, dissatisfaction with justice, and out-group trust were related to intended use of civil dispute resolution.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on the earlier version of this article. We also thank Ms. Kristan E. Melo and the Writing Center at St. John’s University for their editorial assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology & Anthropology, St. John’s University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY, 11439, USA

    Yue Zhuo

  2. University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe St N, Oshawa, ON, L1H 7K4, Canada

    Liqun Cao

  3. Queensland University of Technology, 2 George St, Brisbane City, QLD, 4000, Australia

    Liqun Cao

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  1. Yue Zhuo
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Correspondence to Yue Zhuo.

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Zhuo, Y., Cao, L. Intended and actual use of civil dispute resolution in contemporary China. Crime Law Soc Change 66, 507–523 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-016-9640-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10611-016-9640-8

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