State-led Community Governance:the Study Of The Neighborhood Center In Shanghai M District

With the gradual development of reform and opening-up policy and the market economy,Danwei-insitution has been decadent,and China is no longer a total society.The appearance of free flowing space and free flowing resources makes society fragmental and individual atomized.Meanwhile,with the improvement of living standards and the acceleration of aging,the demand for public service has becoming more and more diverse.The vertical management system and the way of providing public service which depend on Danwei-insitution have been ineffective.Under these changes,the government has more new troubles to resolve and the state-society relationship also has changed.So,as we can see,except the government,more and more civilian groups,such as social organizations,enterprises and the masses,have participated in the govern of society.We need to rethink the changes of state-society relationship now brought by aforementioned changes.In the cases of cooperation between the government and the society to provide the public service,we have reasons to think:Why can they collaborate?How the government implements its will?How the society responds to the government?To answer these questions,this paper will study the establishment and operation of the Neighborhood Center,a comprehensive service platform in Shanghai M District.With its good location and well-developed secondary industry,Shanghai M District has attracted a large number of foreign population.And from 2003,the number of foreign population exceeds the local population.Compared with other districts,M District is facing more difficulties about society governance and public service provision to resolve.So the Neighborhood Center which gathers many resources came to being.Through the study of the establishment and operation of the Neighborhood Center,the author finds that the state still led the community governance,but the state-led community governance is different from the before.The power of state is more flexible.Although the power still relies on the formal power capital,more and more informal elements such as sensibility,relationships,market exchanges are added to the operation of the power.These informal elements are more able to play a key role.In addition,the operation of state power and the implement of its will are becoming more flexible and secluded.The imperative way of mobilization weakens,and the way of mobilization which relies on relationships,face,interests becomes general.The shaping of the strong atmosphere and the satisfaction of the"private" needs of the inhabitants also reinforce the effect of the flexible way of operation.This way of operation also affects the development of the society.To obtain governmental resources and support,many enterprises and social organizations cooperate with the government actively.In the cooperation,the society has been a growth and development.But the activities of these enterprises and social organizations are mostly in the form of providing service and these activities are also restricted by the government.Community groups are no exception.They play a role as an assistant of the government.So society can be defined as "limited growth".