A Maturing Civil Society in China? The Role of Knowledge and Professionalization in the Development of NGOs

Abstract

可以發現，中國版本的這篇文章: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2563696.

Die deutsche Version dieses Artikels finden Sie unter: http://ssrn.com/abstract=4086215.

This article suggests that Chinese NGO do not have the conviction that they are part of an epistemic community in mainland China. Interviews conducted in four cities, Chongqing, Kunming, Nanjing and Shanghai, suggests that this can be attributed to a lack of set standards and professionalization governing their sector of operation. Further, the study finds that Chinese NGOs do not see their primary role is to produce knowledge within their organizational development life cycle. This may indicate a varying path towards the maturation of the civil society sector in China, whereby Chinese NGOs do not conform to the organizational development process as outlined in extant NGO literature.

Keywords: Chinese NGO, civil society, non-profit, epistemic community, knowledge, professionalization