> Funded Research Workshop Invitation/ Call for Papers: Straddling State > and Civil Society: Government-Linked Grassroots Organizations in Asia > Location: Iowa, United States > Date Submitted: 2004-05-25 > Announcement ID: 138773 > > Funded Research Workshop Invitation/ Call for Papers Straddling State > and Civil Society: Government-Linked Grassroots Organizations in Asia > Scholars whose research is most suitable will be invited to a workshop > at the University of Iowa, sponsored by a fund in the name of Benjamin > F. Shambaugh, scheduled for the spring of 2005. We aim to publish the > best papers in an edited volume. > > **Organizers:** > Benjamin L. Read, Asst. professor, University of Iowa, Dept. of > Political Science, Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Robert Pekkanen, > Asst. professor, University of Washington, Jackson School of > International Studies. Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > **Project Overview** > In recent years, scholars have appropriately paid much attention to > the development of Asian forms of civil society -- citizens' > organizations that are autonomous from the state. In this project, we > investigate something different: organizations that engage widespread > participation yet are not autonomous but linked to the state in > various ways. These groups can be said to "straddle" the state-society > boundary. In many cases they receive resources and legitimation from > the authorities, who in turn draw on them for purposes like > disseminating information and facilitating administration or policing. > Some of these organizations are meant to embody (or impose) a form of > local "community" that is integrated with the nation as a whole. At > the same time, they typically provide a channel through which ordinary > people can articulate demands, address local issues, and sometimes > vote for representatives. > > Cases of this form of organization appear in many parts of the world, > but appear particularly abundant in Asia. Some are loosely descended > from imperial or colonial institutions of social control or taxation, > while others have more recent origins. They exist in democracies and > authoritarian systems alike. Similarly, the groups range from those > more closely linked to, or existing as part of, local government, such > as China's Residents' Committees, to those with formal autonomy, such > as Japan's neighborhood associations. > > Examples include: > > Indonesia's ultra-local organizational structures (rukun warga [RW], > rukun tetanga [RT]). > > Taiwan's networks of neighborhood heads, village heads, and their > subordinate block captains (lizhang, cunzhang, linzhang) > > Singapore's grassroots organizations under the People's Association > (e.g. Residents Committees and Neighbourhood Committees) > > Japan's neighborhood associations (chokai, jichikai, chounaikai) > China's Residents' Committees and Villagers' Committees (jumin > weiyuanhui, cunmin weiyuanhui) > > South Korea's system of neighborhood meetings (bansanghoe) > > Vietnam's residents' clusters and residents' groups (cum dan cu, to > dan > pho) > > What is interesting about these "straddlers"? Quite a bit, we think. > In some cases they may be partially understandable through existing > theoretical ideas such as corporatism, Leninism, clientelism, or > political mobilization by a dominant party. Yet these notions only > begin to provide insight. The questions we seek to understand include: > > What are the origins of these institutions? H ow have they evolved > over time? How do they interact with their constituents or members? > What kinds of participation do they foster? Do people consider them helpful > or oppressive? Do they inhibit or encourage the development of civil > society? Do these groups promote social capital? If so, what can we > learn about social capital itself from the way government-linked groups > promote it? Do these groups facilitate or work against good > governance? How important are they in helping to implement programs > like welfare, household registration, and family planning? > > We would like to hear from people who are doing empirically > well-grounded research on these kinds of organizations. Many > methodologies could be appropriate, from archival work to case studies > to surveys to ethnography. Scholars from any discipline would be > welcome: for example, sociologists, anthropologists, historians, > political scientists, economists or scholars of public policy. As > noted above, scholars whose research is most suitable will be invited > to a workshop at the University of Iowa, sponsored by a fund in the > name of Benjamin F. Shambaugh, scheduled for the spring of 2005. We > aim to publish the best papers in an edited volume. > > We would also be most grateful to receive citations for existing > studies of some of the more obscure cases mentioned above > (particularly the Indonesian, Taiwanese, Singaporean, Korean, and > Vietnamese cases), or others that have escaped our attention. We would > likewise be grateful for names and contact information of relevant > scholars who might not see this announcement, or for suggestions on > places to effectively publicize this workshop. > > Please contact Ben Read at [EMAIL PROTECTED] and also Robert > Pekkanen at [EMAIL PROTECTED] (please send the email to both > organizers) > > Robert Pekkanen > Middlebury College > Political Science Department > Middlebury, VT 05753 > 802 443 3447 > > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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