Social engineering of community building: Examination of policy process and characteristics of community construction in China

This article briefly introduces the history and major policiesof a massive community construction project launched by thePeople's Republic of China in the mid-1980s. Based on a literaturereview and field observations, the authors highlight four characteristicsof this project: muddling through chaos, top-down control, regulatedparticipation, and community as functional establishment. Itis argued that the goal of the project is not to recreate, inChina, a Western model of civil society, but to restructurethe existing urban administrative structure so that it can adaptto new social demands. By transforming the grassroots neighbourhoodorganization – the residents' committee – into awelfare provider, this project is expected to ease the state'swelfare burden while maintaining its political control.