Interest, Identity And Institutional Supply: A Study On The Influence Factors Of Community Participation

Since World War Ⅱ, with the rapid growth of urban population and economic globalization, both the Pattern of Welfare Country and that of Neo-Liberalism are going on encounter a number of stubborn problems, such as the widening of the gap between rich and poor, the decline of inner city, and the deterioration of public security in cities and so on. However, the participation of residents and the self-governance of community is considered as an effective method to solve the problems of "Government Failure" and "Market Failure". Under such circumstances, community development and community construction become a hot topic in recent years which attracts both scholars and policy makers. It is the community participation that plays a key role in community development and community construction.On the basis of survey data and interview materials in three cities—Beijing, Suzhou and Chengdu, this paper presents an analysis of the present situation of community identity and community participation from a theoretical perspective of Rational Choice Theory and Community Identity Theory.This research study finds out that with the transformation of social economic system and the reform of on housing institution in China, urban residents shows more enthusiasm to the community pubic affairs and community participation. There are three reasons for this change: Firstly, with the change of community management and community service, the importance of public goods and public interest in community begins to rise in resident's social lives; Secondly, residents have more right consciousness about community environment and public interest for the property right; Thirdly, the willingness of longer time live anticipation and higher satisfaction to community substance environment bring residents' high community identity. All of these reasons waken residents' willingness to community. While due to a long-term dysfunction of community, the shortage of institutional supply becomes a heavy obstacle to the community participation of residents. A huge gap exists between resident's willingness to participate and the institutional space for them to participate. For the time being the community building launched and pushed by the government put more emphasis on the reconstruction of urban managerial system, which is quite different from the West. It is the because of differentia on goals that Owing to the difference on goals, the institutional supply of community participation is somewhat neglected, which gives rise to a non-institutional channel to participate in community affairs, for instance resident's rights-defense movement. Thereby, the present community building urgently calls for institutional supply of community participation. One the one hand,the government should give community more power and self-government space; on the other hand, the government should exert more functions on of assistance and sustainment.