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Bottom-up voluntary associations, it is commonly thought, are among the fundamental building blocks of democracy, preparing people for engaged citizenship. A great deal of interest in Chinese civil society is premised on the idea that such groups might foster the emergence of democracy. But in a society where virtually all major institutions—from schools to workplaces to government—bear the deep imprint of authoritarian rule, can voluntary associations still spur social and political change?
Everyday Democracy is a groundbreaking study of bottom-up organizations in China, arguing that even in an authoritarian state, they nurture the skills and habits of democracy. Anthony J. Spires offers an in-depth look at two youth-based, youth-led volunteer groups, showing how their values and practices point the way toward the emergence of new, more democratic forms of association. In mainstream Chinese organizational life, even in grassroots civil society groups, hierarchy and autocracy are pervasive. In these groups, however, ideals of equality, mutual respect, and dignity have motivated young people to invent new practices and norms that contrast greatly with typical top-down organizational culture. Drawing on more than a decade of field-based research with a diverse array of participants, Everyday Democracy pinpoints the seeds of a democratic culture inside an authoritarian regime.
— Elisabeth Clemens, author of Civic Gifts: Voluntarism and the Making of the American Nation-State
Through a close, longitudinal study of China’s youth-led civil society that runs counter to existing analyses, Spires demonstrates that democratic culture is emerging on authoritarian soil, in grassroots groups. This is an important contribution not only to China studies but also to the study of political culture.
— Diana Fu, author of Mobilizing Without the Masses: Control and Contention in China
Based on twenty years of grassroots fieldwork, this book vividly describes how egalitarian, democratic civic cultures develop within voluntary associations even though they are under the mantle of Chinese hegemonic authoritarianism. Spires then connects these observations to a deeper and hopeful understanding of the challenges facing a fragile democratic tradition in the modern world.
— Richard Madsen, author of China and the American Dream: A Moral Inquiry
Everyday Democracy provides new ways to understand the ongoing interaction between civil society organizations and both elected and appointed rulers. This alone makes it a groundbreaking contribution and not just for students of Chinese politics.
— Philippe C. Schmitter, professor emeritus, European University Institute
Do civil society associations function as "free schools of democracy" in an undemocratic context? Spires engages this "Tocqueville question" through extensive fieldwork to provide a rigorous, subtle analysis of the culture of democracy and its dilemmas under a powerful authoritarian regime.
— Bin Xu, author of The Culture of Democracy: A Sociological Approach to Civil Society
A remarkable contribution to the study of civil society under authoritarianism. Spires shows that even under authoritarian conditions, democratic practices can emerge, not in grand political movements, but in the quiet routines of consensus meetings, shared leadership, and mutual learning. Spires’s work therefore offers essential reading for scholars of China studies, political science, and sociology.
Provides an important foundation for future research on Chinese civil society organizations. I highly recommend it to China scholars and those interested in building democratic culture, especially in authoritarian regimes.
A fascinating book that complicates a simple view of Chinese civil society.
A groundbreaking study of how voluntary associations in China produce democratic culture on authoritarian soil, and it is well supported by qualitative evidence from years of fieldwork in China.
This effort to create truly open and non-hierarchical organizations stemmed first and foremost from a rejection of the Party’s own approach to student mobilization and volunteerism. Spires’ book is damning in its account of official volunteer efforts, which are ineffective at best and counter-productive at worst.
Provides a nuanced discussion of the culture of volunteering in China.
Everyday Democracy offers refreshing perspectives for studying the relationship between civil society and democratic culture.
Impressive and of high quality. The book is truly fascinating and worthwhile...it will be an invaluable read and a rich source of information for sinologists, native speakers, and anyone interested in the development of political culture in general.
A useful contribution to the sociology of organizations, political culture and civil society under authoritarianism, and deserves wide readership.
Acknowledgments
I. Overview and Background
Introduction
1. Democracy in China: A Century of Debate
II. The Authoritarian Status Quo
2. Civil Society Under Hegemonic Authoritarianism
3. Struggling to Come Together as Equals
III. Youth-Led Voluntary Associations as Crucibles of a Democratic Counterhegemony
4. Rejecting Formalism: Alternative Narratives of Volunteering
5. Equality as Culture and Practice
6. Handling Differences of Opinion and Building Consensus
7. Nurturing the Skills and Habits of Democracy
8. (S)Electing Leaders
9. Selecting Newcomers and Screening for Common Values
IV. Conclusion and Implications
Conclusion: Implications for Democratic Development in China and Beyond
Appendix: Some Reflections on Fieldwork, Re-presentation, and Ethics
Notes
References
Index