SUBJECT-OBJECT RELATIONS IN THE SOCIAL GOVERNANCE SYSTEM: CHINESE SOCIOLOGISTS APPROACHES

Abstract

Introduction. The relevance of this study is related and explained by the fact that contemporary sociology is showing growing interest in the transition from the traditional “subject-object” model of governance to more complex forms of interaction. In China, this process has its own regional feature: the borrowing of global governance concepts is combined with the preservation of the leading role of party-state institutions and reliance on traditional views of the governance process. The aim of the article is to identify and systematize the approaches of Chinese sociologists to understanding subject-object relations within the system of social governance.

Materials and Methods. The theoretical and methodological framework of the study is based on the concept of augmented sociality and a transdisciplinary regional approach. The empirical basis for the qualitative text analysis consists of 110 sociological dissertations on the topic of social governance, selected through comprehensive sampling from the CNKI database and completed in mainland China from 2000 to the present.

Results and conclusions. The study has revealed that contemporary mainland Chinese sociology has developed three groups of approaches to the problem of subject-object relations in the system of social governance: statist-oriented, society-oriented, and “intermediate” statist-society approaches. The first group maintains a focus on institutions and interactions; in this group, the main subject of governance is the party and the state, while society is interpreted primarily as the object of governance. The second group concentrates on processes of social self-organization and the participation of non-state actors; it attempts to take into account the characteristics of the social beyond institutions and interactions alone. The third group of approaches, currently the most in demand, proposes recognizing the leading role of party-state institutions while partially incorporating various local communities, public organizations, and citizens into governance processes, taking into account new characteristics of the social, namely networks and flows.

Discussion. Chinese sociology is developing a hybrid model of social governance that combines the concepts of “subject-object” and “subject-subject.” This model is intended to integrate traditional Chinese approaches based on institutional influence with the achievements of global governance concepts, taking into account horizontal social ties and the dynamic development of contemporary society, as well as its constant mobility and changeability.