Roots of the State

Neighborhood Organization and Social Networks in Beijing and Taipei

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, International, Foreign Legal Systems
Cover of the book Roots of the State by Benjamin Read, Stanford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Benjamin Read ISBN: 9780804782036
Publisher: Stanford University Press Publication: April 11, 2012
Imprint: Stanford University Press Language: English
Author: Benjamin Read
ISBN: 9780804782036
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Publication: April 11, 2012
Imprint: Stanford University Press
Language: English

Most social science studies of local organizations tend to focus on "civil society" associations, voluntary associations independent from state control, whereas government-sponsored organizations tend to be theorized in totalitarian terms as "mass organizations" or manifestations of state corporatism. Roots of the State examines neighborhood associations in Beijing and Taipei that occupy a unique space that exists between these concepts. Benjamin L. Read views the work of the neighborhood associations he studies as a form of "administrative grassroots engagement." States sponsor networks of organizations at the most local of levels, and the networks facilitate governance and policing by building personal relationships with members of society. Association leaders serve as the state's designated liaisons within the neighborhood and perform administrative duties covering a wide range of government programs, from welfare to political surveillance. These partly state-controlled entities also provide a range of services to their constituents. Neighborhood associations, as institutions initially created to control societies, may underpin a repressive regime such as China's, but they also can evolve to empower societies, as in Taiwan. This book engages broad and much-discussed questions about governance and political participation in both authoritarian and democratic regimes.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Most social science studies of local organizations tend to focus on "civil society" associations, voluntary associations independent from state control, whereas government-sponsored organizations tend to be theorized in totalitarian terms as "mass organizations" or manifestations of state corporatism. Roots of the State examines neighborhood associations in Beijing and Taipei that occupy a unique space that exists between these concepts. Benjamin L. Read views the work of the neighborhood associations he studies as a form of "administrative grassroots engagement." States sponsor networks of organizations at the most local of levels, and the networks facilitate governance and policing by building personal relationships with members of society. Association leaders serve as the state's designated liaisons within the neighborhood and perform administrative duties covering a wide range of government programs, from welfare to political surveillance. These partly state-controlled entities also provide a range of services to their constituents. Neighborhood associations, as institutions initially created to control societies, may underpin a repressive regime such as China's, but they also can evolve to empower societies, as in Taiwan. This book engages broad and much-discussed questions about governance and political participation in both authoritarian and democratic regimes.

More books from Stanford University Press

Cover of the book Stasis by Benjamin Read
Cover of the book What's Law Got to Do With It? by Benjamin Read
Cover of the book Getting New Things Done by Benjamin Read
Cover of the book Framing Equal Opportunity by Benjamin Read
Cover of the book Memoirs of a Grandmother by Benjamin Read
Cover of the book Hyperconflict by Benjamin Read
Cover of the book Power in Uncertain Times by Benjamin Read
Cover of the book The History of Missed Opportunities by Benjamin Read
Cover of the book Leadership Dispatches by Benjamin Read
Cover of the book Was Hitler a Riddle? by Benjamin Read
Cover of the book Coca's Gone by Benjamin Read
Cover of the book Creating New Knowledge in Management by Benjamin Read
Cover of the book Re-Figuring Hayden White by Benjamin Read
Cover of the book Crossing the Gulf by Benjamin Read
Cover of the book The Street Politics of Abortion by Benjamin Read
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy