Fostering Civil Society Through Community Empowerment: An Extended Case of the Sichuan Earthquake in China

Abstract

How nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) enhance civil society development in China is underresearched while the extant literature centers on the government–NGO relationship. Applying the extended case method, this study explores how an NGO-facilitated community reconstruction program followed the community empowerment approach to foster local civil society in the wake of the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake. We argue that community reconstruction opened space for NGOs to nurture public spheres and residents’ civic engagement, foster community organizing, and support community participation in local governance. The dynamics reveals the functioning and limitations of the community empowerment approach for civil society development in contemporary China.