| In the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the Communist system was undergoing a remarkable transformation, civil society, a realm outside the Communist party-state structure, began to attract many political scientists' attention. Specialists on East Europe cited the emergence of civil society as one of the factors contributing to the downfall of socialism in that region. A number of sinologists applied this concept to an analysis of developments in China.;The main focus of this thesis is to analyze the emergence of civil society in post-Mao China. This thesis elaborates a civil society model in contra-distinction to the totalitarian model and then applies this civil society model to the analysis of China. It explores the roots of civil society in traditional China, analyzing its strengths and weaknesses. It argues that the seeds of civil society could be found in traditional China but not a full-blown civil society.;In its analysis of post-Mao China, this thesis focuses on the emergence of civil society in three spheres: the political, social and economic. This thesis finds both positive and negative factors affecting the development of civil society in post-Mao China. Democratic movements, the growth of a non-state economy and a growing number of semi-autonomous social organizations reflect the emergence of a nascent civil society in post-Mao China. However, Chinese political tradition and the coercive powers of the Chinese Communist Party are two major factors hindering the emergence of an institutionalized civil society in China. |
