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No 2009:134:
Development of Citizen-Organized Environmental NGOs in China

Jiang Ru and Leonard Ortolano
Additional contact information
Jiang Ru: The World Bank, Postal: East Asia Sustainable Development Department, The World Bank, Washington, DC 20433, USA
Leonard Ortolano: Stanford University, Postal: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

Abstract: Social movement theories provide a framework for explaining the post-1990 rise in China’s citizen-organized environmental nongovernmental organizations (ENGOs), which consisted of at least 128 organizations as of 2004. We use a political process model, which is based on favorable political opportunities, cognitive liberation, and indigenous organizational strength, to explain the sharp growth in citizen organized ENGOs. In addition, we employ a world society perspective to help clarify why the political environment in China became favorable for ENGO growth, and how international ENGO practices were diffused within China. Our analysis shows that the relatively high status of ENGO founders together with their personal and professional networks also played important roles in ENGO growth.

Keywords: China; Environmental NGOs; Political process model; World society; Social movements

Language: English

17 pages, 2009

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RePEc:hhh:senior:2009_134 This page was generated 2009-11-02 09:56:59