Tom Bannister

Tom Bannister has been conducting postgraduate research on civil society in south-west China for the School of East Asian studies in the University of Sheffield.

Trimming the hair of an old man: or, volunteering within Chinese civil society

The focus on radical political activism in most western discussions of Chinese civil society is unrepresentative of the civil society that actually exists. What this does have is a box of hats, a network of contacts and a presence on QQ, the instant messaging service that has penetrated deep into

By Tom Bannister

/ 21 Jun 2012

Campfire democracy?

“… there is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families” This was Margaret Thatcher talking to Women’s Own magazine in October 1987.

By Tom Bannister

/ 15 Jun 2010