School of Social and Political Science

Description

In recent decades China has seen a rise in grassroots “philanthropy” (gongyi), or charity and volunteerism that is not directed by the state. Drawing on over a decade of ethnographic research in a county of southeast China, this talk explores the everyday dynamics of grassroots philanthropy in China. Through the lens of ordinary citizens engaging in philanthropic endeavours, it uncovers the entangled developments to be found in the ethics, economies, and politics that characterize this contemporary political economic moment of China.