It is commonly assumed that conflicts in China and other Asian countries that share its cultural heritage are resolved through mediation rather than adjudication or appeals to political institutions. Archival sources in China and interviews with urban and rural officials reveal that the preference for mediation in China and other Asian and even Western societies is largely correlated with region, class, and gender and therefore does not constitute a national pattern. Historical (19th century and Maoist China) and more contemporary evidence reveals that mediation—to the extent that it was actually performed at the grassroots level—was but one method of resolving problems in China. Other methods included interpersonal violence, collective action, and even feigned suicide. A disaggregated perspective on conflict resolution is a more accurate representation of China as it deepens market reforms and a more powerful way to predict China's capacity to manage the conflicts that follow such reforms.
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