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Grid Governance in China's Urban Middle-class Neighbourhoods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2019

Beibei Tang
Beibei Tang*
Affiliation:
Department of China Studies, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. Email: Beibei.Tang@xjtlu.edu.cn.
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Abstract

This article examines the so-called “grid governance” scheme, a widely used grassroots governance strategy implemented in urban China in recent years. Drawing on data collected in multiple cities from 2011 to 2016, it analyses in what ways, and to what extent, the state employs the grid governance scheme to resolve neighbourhood conflicts and reinforce governance in Chinese urban middle-class neighbourhoods. The findings highlight complex interactions under the scheme among the residents, the state and market actors in neighbourhood governance, including the resident volunteers, residents’ social groups, residents’ committees and property management companies. By coopting middle-class resident volunteers, maximizing the existing political influence of the retired urban elites, and establishing Party organizations in middle-class residential communities, the grid governance scheme has become a major vehicle for resident mobilization and conflict resolution, and a key governance mechanism to reinforce the Party's leadership in middle-class neighbourhoods.

摘要

摘要

本文分析了网格化治理这一近几年在中国城市基层治理中得到广泛应用的治理模式。基于２０１１年至２０１６年在中国多个城市的资料收集，本文分析了网格化治理模式是如何在城市中产阶层社区治理中得到应用，从而辅助社区冲突的解决和强化社区治理。本文强调了在网格模式下居民，政府和市场之间复杂的互动。这其中包含了居民志愿者，群众团体，居委会和物业公司在社区网格中的互动。通过招募中产阶层居民志愿者，将城市退休精英的政治影响力最大化，和开展中产阶层社区党建工作，网格化治理模式逐渐成为动员居民和解决冲突的主要途径。与此同时，网格化治理也成为加强党支部在中产阶层社区的重要模式。

Keywords

neighbourhood governancegrid governanceParty buildingresident mobilizationmiddle classChina社区治理网格化治理党建居民动员中产阶层
Type
Research Article
Information
The China Quarterly , Volume 241 , March 2020 , pp. 43 - 61
Copyright
Copyright © SOAS University of London, 2019

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