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Building social resilience from below: everyday practices and informal governance in Cunxin Benevolent Hall,China

Yu, Zihan LU (2026) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM02 20261
LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Abstract
In times of public crises, state-centered governance often faces delayed response and limited local reach, leaving gaps that formal institutions alone cannot fill. It is precisely in these gaps that informal organizations and community networks become critical—yet how such organizations sustain grassroots resilience across both ordinary times and moments of crisis remains under explored. My thesis examines Cunxin Benevolent Hall, a long-standing charitable organization in Shantou, China, to understand how social resilience is built beyond formal institutions. Combining the perspectives of institutional complementarity and community resilience, and drawing on interviews, participant observation, and archival materials, the study analyzes... (More)
In times of public crises, state-centered governance often faces delayed response and limited local reach, leaving gaps that formal institutions alone cannot fill. It is precisely in these gaps that informal organizations and community networks become critical—yet how such organizations sustain grassroots resilience across both ordinary times and moments of crisis remains under explored. My thesis examines Cunxin Benevolent Hall, a long-standing charitable organization in Shantou, China, to understand how social resilience is built beyond formal institutions. Combining the perspectives of institutional complementarity and community resilience, and drawing on interviews, participant observation, and archival materials, the study analyzes both state–society interaction and internal organizational mechanisms. I find that resilience emerges from everyday practices— routine care, moral mobilization, and trust-based networks—that accumulate into mobilizable capacity during crises. My study argues that informal organizations sustain resilience by embedding governance in daily life, while also revealing the individual costs underlying this process. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Yu, Zihan LU
supervisor
organization
course
MESM02 20261
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
community resilience, informal organizations, institutional complementarity, grassroots governance, Sustainability Science
publication/series
Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
report number
No 2026:018
language
English
id
9228821
date added to LUP
2026-06-09 11:00:52
date last changed
2026-06-09 11:00:52
@misc{9228821,
  abstract     = {{In times of public crises, state-centered governance often faces delayed response and limited local reach, leaving gaps that formal institutions alone cannot fill. It is precisely in these gaps that informal organizations and community networks become critical—yet how such organizations sustain grassroots resilience across both ordinary times and moments of crisis remains under explored. My thesis examines Cunxin Benevolent Hall, a long-standing charitable organization in Shantou, China, to understand how social resilience is built beyond formal institutions. Combining the perspectives of institutional complementarity and community resilience, and drawing on interviews, participant observation, and archival materials, the study analyzes both state–society interaction and internal organizational mechanisms. I find that resilience emerges from everyday practices— routine care, moral mobilization, and trust-based networks—that accumulate into mobilizable capacity during crises. My study argues that informal organizations sustain resilience by embedding governance in daily life, while also revealing the individual costs underlying this process.}},
  author       = {{Yu, Zihan}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{Building social resilience from below: everyday practices and informal governance in Cunxin Benevolent Hall,China}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}