Author : Anthony J. Spires
Publisher : Columbia University Press
ISBN 13 : 0231558945
Total Pages : 476 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (315 download)
Book Synopsis Everyday Democracy by : Anthony J. Spires
Download or read book Everyday Democracy written by Anthony J. Spires and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2024-12-10 with total page 476 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bottom-up voluntary associations, it is commonly thought, are among the fundamental building blocks of democracy, preparing people for engaged citizenship. A great deal of interest in Chinese civil society is premised on the idea that such groups might foster the emergence of democracy. But in a society where virtually all major institutions—from schools to workplaces to government—bear the deep imprint of authoritarian rule, can voluntary associations still spur social and political change? Everyday Democracy is a groundbreaking study of bottom-up organizations in China, arguing that even in an authoritarian state, they nurture the skills and habits of democracy. Anthony J. Spires offers an in-depth look at two youth-based, youth-led volunteer groups, showing how their values and practices point the way toward the emergence of new, more democratic forms of association. In mainstream Chinese organizational life, even in grassroots civil society groups, hierarchy and autocracy are pervasive. In these groups, however, ideals of equality, mutual respect, and dignity have motivated young people to invent new practices and norms that contrast greatly with typical top-down organizational culture. Drawing on more than a decade of field-based research with a diverse array of participants, Everyday Democracy pinpoints the seeds of a democratic culture inside an authoritarian regime.
