Home>Course>[CHES5135] State and Civil Society in Contemporary China>CHES5135

Civil society in China operates within a unique set of political and social constraints shaped by the authoritarian state. While traditional notions of civil society involve autonomous voluntary organizations that foster democratic engagement, in China, civil society is characterized by its constrained autonomy, with organizations often co-opted by state interests.

This course attempts to provide both a theoretical discussion of the possibility of civil society in China and an analysis of THREE development in China that could be described as “quasi-civil society”: 1. The rise of professional social work, 2. The emergence of Non-governmental organizations, and 3. The development of volunteerism. 

Part I: Theoretical discussion on Civil Society

• Western Theories on Civil Society
• Debate on Civil Society in Contemporary China

Part II: Civil Society in China: Now and Then

• The emergence of Civil Society in Late Qing and the Republican
• The Ups and Downs of Civil Society since the Reform in Contemporary China

Part III: Quasi-civil society

• Quasi-civil society I: The Institutionalization of Social Work
• The Development of Social Work before the 2010s
• Current development and the Future
• Quasi-civil society II: The NGOs in China
• The Roles of NGOs in Social Governance
• Quasi-civil society III: The Volunteers
• The Roles of Volunteers in Social Governance
• Presentation 1
• Presentation 2