本书系1995年由加拿大多伦多大学和约克大学亚太研究联合中心举办的“中国公民社会”讨论会论文汇编，兼学理研究及个案分析，涵盖政治科学、历史、教育、宗教等诸多学术领域。一批北美顶尖的“中国学”学者相聚探讨“公民社会”概念在中国学研究中的有效性及其限度，进而重新思考中国国家与社会关系的各种可能性。 各位作者并非把持现成的西方“公民社会”尺度来裁判和论断中国，而用历史比较学的眼光，平等对待欧洲和中国的历史经验，尝试构建具有普遍意义的国家与社会模式。他们迥异的学科背景、理论立场和研究路径，为本书带来了可贵的多样性与开放性。本书呈现的研究范式将打开一些缺口，为观察中国国家与社会关系的历史与现实提供更为丰富的视角。

改革开放后中国3多年持续的发展及其在国际舞台上的迅速崛起，引发了中国学术界一系列热烈的讨论和争论。特别是关于中国的政治发展，讨论和争论尤其激烈。本书的作者包括中美两国24位著名的政治学家和中国问题专家，是中美学者首次关于当代中国政治问题的专题对话。从相当程

What kind of role can the middle class play in potential democratization in such an undemocratic, late developing country as China? To answer this profound political as well as theoretical question, Jie Chen explores attitudinal and behavioral orientation of China's new middle class to democracy and democratization. Chen's work is based on a unique set of data collected from a probability-sample survey and in-depth interviews of residents in three major Chinese cities, Beijing, Chengdu and Xi'an—each of which represents a distinct level of economic development in urban China-in 2007 and 2008. The empirical findings derived from this data set confirm that (1) compared to other social classes, particularly lower classes, the new Chinese middle class-especially those employed in the state apparatus-tends to be more supportive of the current Party-state but less supportive of democratic values and institutions; (2) the new middle class's attitudes toward democracy may be accounted for by this class's close ideational and institutional ties with the state, and its perceived socioeconomic wellbeing, among other factors; (3) the lack of support for democracy among the middle class tends to cause this social class to act in favor of the current state but in opposition to democratic changes. The most important political implication is that while China's middle class is not likely to serve as the harbinger of democracy now, its current attitudes toward democracy may change in the future. Such a crucial shift in the middle class's orientation toward democracy can take place, especially when its dependence on the Party-state decreases and perception of its own social and economic statuses turns pessimistic. The key theoretical implication from the findings suggests that the attitudinal and behavioral orientations of the middle class-as a whole and as a part-toward democratic change in late developing countries are contingent upon its relationship with the incumbent state and its perceived social/economic wellbeing, and the middle class's support for democracy in these countries is far from inevitable.

Viewing the evolving relationship between the Chinese Communist Party and private entrepreneurs, this book examines the implications of recruiting entrepreneurs into the communist party. It has given rise to the label of "red capitalists." Although many foreign observers expect economic change to lead inevitably to political change in China, this book reveals that China's entrepreneurs are willing partners with the state; not an autonomous force in opposition to the state.

Contemporary Chinese Politics: Sources, Methods, and Field Strategies considers how new and diverse sources and methods are changing the study of Chinese politics. Contributors spanning three generations in China studies place their distinct qualitative and quantitative methodological approaches in the framework of the discipline and point to challenges or opportunities (or both) of adapting new sources and methods to the study of contemporary China. How can we more effectively use new sources and methods of data collection? How can we better integrate the study of Chinese politics into the discipline of political science, to the betterment of both? How can we more appropriately manage the logistical and ethical problems of doing political research in the challenging Chinese environment? In addressing these questions, this comprehensive methodological survey will be of immense interest to graduate students heading into the field for the first time and experienced scholars looking to keep abreast of the state of the art in the study of Chinese politics. 1 Contributors span three generations in China studies, and represent the top of the field in their particular methodological approaches 2 The most complete and up-to-date guide to fieldwork in China available; includes new and diverse sources and methods