Characteristics of China's Nongovernmental Organizations: a Critical Review

摘要

The study of the characteristics of China's Non-governmental Organizations (CNGOs) is rooted in three approaches: the civil society approach, the corporatism approach, and the contingent approach. The debate between Civil Society and Corporatism has lasted for three decades and has dominated the thoughts and vocabularies of the description of CNGOs. More recently, however, some researchers have sought to focus attention on the context in which CNGOs survive and play a role, pointing out that the characteristics of a CNGO go beyond the question of 'autonomy', and arguing that they are the reflection of this socio-economic environment. This type of research may be called a "contingent approach." This paper investigates and critically reviews these three categories of literature by describing and comparing their key ideas and implications for the NGOs in China, and finally concludes with the author's view on the macro discourses, theoretical tools, and research methods of studying the characteristics of CNGOs in the future.