Social Capital in Urban China: Attitudinal and Behavioral Effects on Grassroots Self-Government

Objectives. Studies of Western settings, in general, argue that social capital, defined as a set of civic norms and social networks among ordinary citizens, nurtures democratic governance at various levels. Does such a social capital exist in a transitional society such as China? If so, what kind of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social science quarterly 2007-06, Vol.88 (2), p.422-442
Main Authors: Chen, Jie, Lu, Chunlong
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behavior
China
Citizens
Civil society
Community power
Comparative Perspectives
Cultural Capital
Elections
Federal government
General studies. Ideologies
Governance
Grass Roots
Mobilization
Neighborhoods
Nominations
Peoples Republic of China
Political attitudes
Political Movements
Political sociology
Political stability
Politics
Polls & surveys
Regime transition
Retirement communities
Self determination
Self government
Social Capital
Social networking
Social Networks
Social theories
Society
Sociology
Sociopolitical factors
Studies
Trust
Urban Areas
Urban Population
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Summary:Objectives. Studies of Western settings, in general, argue that social capital, defined as a set of civic norms and social networks among ordinary citizens, nurtures democratic governance at various levels. Does such a social capital exist in a transitional society such as China? If so, what kind of role does social capital play in affecting individuals' attitudinal and behavioral orientations toward fledging grassroots self-government in that society? This study is intended to answer these questions, which are crucial for our understanding of China's sociopolitical development as well as for the application of social capital theories in non-Western societies. Methods. This study is based on the data collected from a representative survey conducted in an urban area in China in 2004. Results. The findings from this study indicate that social capital among urban residents was abundant, and it nurtured the grassroots self-government system through residents' attitudinal and behavioral orientations toward the system. Conclusions. These findings have strong implications for the future of local democratic governance and applicability of social capital theories in China.
ISSN:0038-4941
1540-6237
DOI:10.1111/j.1540-6237.2007.00465.x