Review
“Civil Society and Political change in Asia not only constitutes a major contribution to the study of civil society in East Asia but also helps to blaze the trail for contributions to be made in the future.”—Perspectives on Politics
“This volume presents readers with an excellent opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of civil society and the challenges of creating a democratic space in Asia, thus addressing the serious gaps in the current literature....this expertly edited, theoretically rich, and analytically sophisticated book will make an important contribution to scholarly debates on civil society. It should be of considerable interest to scholars, policymakers, students, and development activists who are keen on gaining a deeper understanding of civil society, democracy, and development.”—Journal of Asian Studies
Product Description
This book is the first comprehensive, systematic investigation of the connection between civil society and political change in Asia—change toward open, participatory, and accountable politics. Its findings suggest that the link between a vibrant civil society and democracy is indeterminate: certain types of civil society organizations support democracy, but others have the potential to undermine it.
Further, the study argues that while civil society is a key factor in political change, democratic transition and consolidation hinge on the development of effective political parties, legislatures, and state institutions. Rooted in a common definition of civil society, a strong analytical framework, and rich empirical material, the analyses and conclusions of the book will have a lasting impact on the understanding of civil society and its relation to democracy in Asia and around the world.

The essays in this book reflect pioneering efforts to study the global movement of ideas and institutions. They deal with topics of significant contemporary importance: initiatives to address the AIDS epidemic in East Africa; to protect the peoples and ecosystems of the Amazon; to advance the 'truth and reconciliation' process in South Africa; to promote 'civil society' in Hungary, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan; to advocate for environmental protection in the United States, Great Britain, Germany, and Japan; and, to spread Rotary Clubs and encourage 'social entrepreneurship' throughout the world. These essays highlight a wide range of research, paying close attention to the realities of particular situations and to current thinking about general processes.

《中国基金会发展解析》除绪论之外，其余十章可分为四篇。历史篇试图阐释中国基金会的文化与传承，包括中国基金会的历史文化渊源和基金会发展的不同历史阶段；运作篇分为公募基金会与非公募基金会两部分，对于公募基金会从内部治理、筹资和募款、项目运作和管理、诚信建设的视角进行分析；为了加强比较分析，特别将我国香港和台湾地区基金会作为研究对象形成比较资料；最后的发展篇展示了基金会发展的愿景并对相关政策进行了探讨。《中国基金会发展解析》适合广大理论和教学工作者、行业管理与政策制定者、基金会及其他非营利部门从业人员阅读。

In this book, scholars from a wide range of disciplines respond to Habermas's most directly relevant work, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere. The relationship between civil society and public life is in the forefront of contemporary discussion. No single scholarly voice informs this discussion more than that of Jürgen Habermas. His contributions have shaped the nature of debates over critical theory, feminism, cultural studies, and democratic politics. In this book, scholars from a wide range of disciplines respond to Habermas's most directly relevant work, The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere. From political theory to cultural criticism, from ethics to gender studies, from history to media studies, these essays challenge, refine, and extend our understanding of the social foundations and changing character of democracy and public discourse.Contributors
Hannah Arendt, Keith Baker, Seyla Benhabib, Harry C. Boyte, Craig Calhoun, Geoff Eley, Nancy Fraser, Nicholas Garnham, Jürgen Habermas, Peter Hohendahl, Lloyd Kramer, Benjamin Lee, Thomas McCarthy, Moishe Postone, Mary P. Ryan, Michael Schudson, Michael Warner, David Zaret

Despite the dominant narrative of the repression of civil society in China, Civil Society Under Authoritarianism: The China Model argues that interactions between local officials and civil society facilitate a learning process, whereby each actor learns about the intentions and work processes of the other. Over the past two decades, often facilitated by foreign donors and problems within the general social framework, these interactions generated a process in which officials learned the benefits and disadvantages of civil society. Civil society supports local officials' efforts to provide social services and improve public policies, yet it also engages in protest and other activities that challenge social stability and development. This duality motivates local officials in China to construct a "social management" system - known as consultative authoritarianism - to encourage the beneficial aspects and discourage the dangerous ones. Although civil society has not democratized China, such organizations have facilitated greater dialogue between citizens and state as part of politics in an authoritarian system that normally lacks such channels for participation.

Based on documentary materials including interviews with key players in China, this book charts the development of non-governmental and non-profit organizations in China from the late 1970s to the present day. It recounts how in the aftermath of the 1978 reforms that created a market economy and diversified interests and social life, new institutions and organizations outside of the state system increased dramatically in number, size and influence. These organizations, which barely existed before the reforms began in the late 1970s, carry out many social, economic and cultural tasks neglected by the government.Qiusha Ma examines two key questions crucial to understanding the development of NGOs in China: First, is it possible under China's one-party state for non-governmental organizations to thrive and play important economic, social and political functions? And secondly, are NGOs facilitating the formation of a civil society in China?

The concept of "civil society" was borrowed from eighteenth-century Europe to provide a framework for understanding the transition to post-authoritarian regimes in Latin America and postcommunist regimes elsewhere. In China, the Democracy Movement forced the concept onto the intellectual agenda during the struggle to come to terms with the growth of dissent and the failure of student activism to find a secure foothold. The question that drives this book is whether this concept is useful for analyzing China, and if so, in what ways and within what limits.