The Marketization of Philanthropy and Charity in China

• In Event: 4366 - Section on Global and Transnational Sociology Refereed Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 12. Markets and Labor in the Global Economy

Abstract

Previous studies related to civil society in China tend to focus on whether or not China has a civil society. Following the critique of Neo-Tocquevillian approach, this article turns to the nonprofit sector in China and explores how civic actions are achieved or hampered in different organizational contexts, including the NGO and social entrepreneurship. By depth interview data collected from leaders of various social organizations in China, I argue that even though political environment imposes a constraint on social organizations’ public promotion and organizational activities, other structural factors, such as the pressure from foundations, lack of modern philanthropic ideas and practices, and nascent social organizational statuses, also contribute to a donor-NGO universe in China. Only mature NGOs, which are capable to develop public fundraising activities, and certain social entrepreneurship, which addresses unpolitical problems, are able to achieve civic actions.

Author

• Ruiyi Li, University of Southern California