This thesis explores the work of Chinese faith based organisations as a lens through which to explore the concept of civil society in China. Whilst there has been much interest in trying to understand both the nature and function of civil society within China (Z. Deng & Jing 1992; Z. Deng 2011; Shieh & G. Deng 2011; Ming 2011) the concept remains highly contested. Within these discussions scant attention has previously been given to the role of faith based organisations (FBOs). This is surprising, given the growing significance of the sector in both rural and urban settings; the unrivalled potential of FBOs to mobilise huge sections of society; and the growing prominence of religion and faith in international development discourse and policy (Clarke, Jennings & Shaw 2007) . . This thesis uses Sztompka's four 'civilizational competencies' as a theoretical framework to explore how FBOs are shaping people's attitudes and providing opportunities for citizens to participate in civil society. This framework specifically looks at the ways in which FBOs have contributed to the building of each of the four competencies - the enterprise culture, the civic culture, the discourse culture, and the everyday culture - as foundation stones for the ยท building of civil society. Using this framework calls attention to Chinese society's readiness (or lack of preparedness) with regard to its own participation in civil society. This approach helps to elucidate some of the different ways in which civil society is conceived of in modern day China. My analysis of the FBO sector concludes by drawing on the work of Michael Edwards, echoing his question as to whether civil society should be described as ' ... a noun (a part of society), an adjective (a kind of society), an arena for societal deliberation or a mixture of all three?' (M. Edwards 2004 p.4).
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:634442 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Fielder, Caroline Louise |
| Publisher | University of Leeds |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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