The Paradigm Shifts of Community Governance in China

Abstract

This paper provides a description of the community governance paradigm shifts in China over the past 4 decades. By taking a historical review of Chinese tradition in community governance, a brief history of the transformation of property rights in the former Soviet Bloc, plus a theoretical analysis from the perspective of social physics, this study clarifies the inherent logic for the community governance evolution across China. The influence that ancient dynasties, up to 1949, exerted upon the modern community governance has been large, which has formed certain social governance inertia. However, there have emerged many new forms of power among which the homeowners are the strongest group to demand more autonomy. By using a social physics framework, this article sheds light on the ongoing tension between the traditional inertia and the emerging trend of autonomy in real estate. Furthermore, the logic could be employed for predicting the future community governance style in China.

Keywords

• autonomy
• community governance
• homeowner association
• polycentrism
• real estate