The rise of social organizations (Shetuan) in China: a sign of civil society

Abstract

Recently, many scholars are interested in studying civil society in China and not many of them mention about the intermediate organizations there. In this paper, I will concentrate on studying these organizations in order to understand civil society in China. In fact, most of the scholars have concluded that there is no civil society or is only in a nascent stage, and they have mentioned that the relation between the party-state and the social organizations (shetuan) has coexisted in the form of corporatism. On the basis of my research, which is based on secondary data, I disagree with that conclusion based on the nature, functions, and their special relationships with the party-state. Further, I will use the Market Transition Theory to explain the recent socio-economic situation in China. Besides, in order to describe the potential that the organizations have, I will introduce the concept of institutional amphibiousness with concepts borrowed from neo-statism. Additionally, this potential will lead social organizations (shetuan) to become part of civil society in China in the future, although they indeed cannot be the ‘sign’ of civil society at this moment.