Education

Yale University

        Ph.D., Department of Sociology (2007)

            Dissertation Title: "China’s Un-Official Civil Society: The Development of Grassroots NGOs in an Authoritarian State"

                             * Awarded Distinction

                        * Awarded the 2010 Marvin B. Sussman Dissertation Prize

            Dissertation Committee: Deborah Davis (Advisor), Kai Erikson, Ronald Eyerman

        M.Phil., Department of Sociology (2005)

        M.A., Department of Sociology (2001)

        M.A., East Asian Studies (Concentration: Chinese Studies) (1998)

Occidental College

        A.B., Asian Studies (Concentration: Chinese Studies) (1992)

Beijing University, Nanjing University (1990-1991)

        Study abroad with Council on International Educational Exchanges

        Intensive training in Chinese language

AFS Exchange Year in Australia (1987-1988)

        High School Year Abroad in Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia

Professional Experience

Associate Director and Co-Founder, Centre for Civil Society Studies, The Chinese University of

            Hong Kong (February 2008 - Present)

Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

            (August 2007 - Present)

Researcher, Sun Yat-sen University Center on Philanthropy

            (May 2011 – Present)

Assistant Editor and Co-Founder, YaleGlobal Online, Yale Center for the Study of

            Globalization (2002-2004)

Pedagogy, Training, and Support Leader, Alliance for Life-Long Learning (2002-2004)

Moderator Mentor, Alliance for Life-Long Learning (2002)

Academic Director, KoJen English Language Schools, Taipei, Taiwan (2001-2002)

Graduate Coordinator, Central Asia Summer Seminar, Yale Center for International and Area

            Studies (1999)

Academic Director, China Summer Institute, Yale Center for International and Area

            Studies (1998)

Freelance Language Consultant (1992-2007)

Director, Multicultural Residence Hall, Occidental College (1991-1992)

Counselor, Upward Bound Pilot Program, Occidental College (1990)

Assistant Coordinator, Volunteer and Community Services Center, Occidental

            College (1990)

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Spires, Anthony J., Lin Tao, and Kin-man Chan. Forthcoming (Jan. 2014). “Societal Support for China’s Grassroots NGOs: Evidence from Yunnan, Guangdong, and Beijing.” In The China Journal, Issue 71.

Spires, Anthony J. 2012. “Lessons from Abroad: Foreign Influences on China’s Emerging Civil Society.” The China Journal, no. 68, pp. 125-146.

Spires, Anthony J.  2011. “Contingent Symbiosis and Civil Society in an Authoritarian State:  Understanding the Survival of China’s Grassroots NGOs.”  American Journal of Sociology, vol. 117, no. 1, pp. 1-45.

Spires, Anthony J.  2011. “Organizational Homophily in International Grantmaking: US-Based Foundations and their Grantees in China.”  Journal of Civil Society, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 305-331.

Erni, John N. and Anthony Spires.  2005.  “The Formation of a Queer-imagined Community in Post-Martial Law Taiwan.”  Pp. 225-252 in John Erni and Chua Siew Keng (eds.), Asian Media Studies: Politics of Subjectivities.  Malden, Mass.: Blackwell Publishers. 

Erni, John Nguyet and Anthony J. Spires.  2001.  “Glossy Subjects:  G&L Magazine and ‘Tongzhi’ Cultural Visibility in Taiwan.”  Sexualities, 4(1): 25-49.

Reviews and Other Publications

Spires, Anthony J. 2012 (March 28). “US Foundations Boost Chinese Government, Not NGOs,” YaleGlobal Online.  Reprinted by The South China Morning Post, The Khaleej Times, and The Epoch Times. Translated and published in Chinese here.

Spires, Anthony J. 2011.  Book Review of Jonathan Unger (ed.), “Associations and the Chinese State: Contested Spaces,” China Perspectives.

Spires, Anthony J.  2004 (May 14).  “Some Chinese See Positive Lessons in Iraqi ‘Torture Gate’,” YaleGlobal Online.  Reprinted in English by The International Herald Tribune, The Straits Times, The Jakarta Post, The Asian Age, and The Korea Herald.  Reprinted in Chinese in The Epoch Times, Renminbao, and Secret China News.

Courses Taught at CUHK

Undergraduate:  Globalization and China; Introduction to Sociology; Chinese Society;

                            Qualitative Research

Graduate: Advanced Qualitative Research; Global Civil Society and Global Governance

Awards, Grants, and Fellowships

Recent Fellowships and Awards

Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center, Academic Writing Residency, for project entitled,

                “Developing Democratic Culture in Chinese NGOs”. To be taken July 8 – August 5, 2013.

CUHK High-Impact Scholarship Award (2011-2012), including a HK$50,000 (US$6,450) research grant, for the article “Contingent Symbiosis and Civil Society in an Authoritarian State: Understanding the Survival of China’s Grassroots NGOs” (2011, American Journal of Sociology, vol. 117, no. 1, pp. 1-45).

Co-Winner of the 2012 Distinguished Contribution to Scholarship Award, given by the American Sociological Association’s Political Sociology Section, for the article “Contingent Symbiosis and Civil Society in an Authoritarian State: Understanding the Survival of China’s Grassroots NGOs” (2011, American Journal of Sociology, vol. 117, no. 1, pp. 1-45).

National Committee on United States-China Relations, 2011-2013 Public Intellectuals Program (PIP) Fellow

Recipient of the 2010 Marvin B. Sussman Dissertation Prize, Department of Sociology, Yale University

Recent Grants

PROCORE-France/Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme (2012-2013), with Chloe Froissart, for “Civil Society and the Transformation of Authoritarian Regimes,” for the sum of 9,500 Euros (US$12,500).

First Co-Investigator, “A National Survey of the Development Situation of Private Foundations in China.” Sponsored by the China Private Foundation Forum (Zhongguo Feigongmu Jijinhui Fazhan Luntan), during the period June 2012 to October 2012, for the sum of RMB 250,000 (US$40,000).  With colleagues at the Sun Yat-sen University Center on Philanthropy (Guangzhou, China).

“Chinese NGOs as Incubators of Democratic Culture?”, sponsored by the South China Program Research Grant of CUHK Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, during the period October 2010 to September 2011, for the sum of HK$90,000 (US$11,550).

“Grounding Global Civil Society: US Grantmakers and Their Impact on China” (SS07315), sponsored by Direct Grants, CUHK Research Committee Funding, during the period May 2008 to May 2010, for the sum of HK$69,080 (US$8,865).

Earlier Grants and Fellowships

Yale Council on East Asian Studies Dissertation Fellowship, 2006-2007

Yale University Dissertation Fellowship, 2005-2006

Yale Council on East Asian Studies Dissertation Fellowship, 2004-2005

Cheng Lee Fellowship, 1998-2001

Charles Kao Fund, 2000

Yale Center for International and Area Studies Pre-Dissertation Fellowship, 2000

Yale Council on East Asian Studies Summer Travel and Research Grant, 2000

George M. Camp Fund, 1998; 2007

Yale University Fellowship, 1998-2001

Occidental College Scholarship, 1988-1992

Oxy-in-China Scholarship, 1990-1991

Consultancies/Commissioned Projects

Co-Principal Investigator for Global Greengrants Fund China Program Evaluation (2011-12 to 2012-05)

Principal Investigator for SIDA-FDI Funding Review and Evaluation, Embassy of Sweden in China; SIDA (2009-05 to 2009-09)

Service to Journals

Reviewer, American Journal of Sociology

Reviewer, American Sociological Review

Reviewer, ASIANetwork Exchange

Reviewer, Asian Politics and Policies

Reviewer, The China Journal

Reviewer, Gender, Technology, and Development

Reviewer, Modern China

Reviewer, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly

Reviewer, Problems of Post-Communism

Reviewer, Qualitative Sociology

Reviewer, Sociological Theory

Reviewer, Theory and Society

Conference/Workshop Presentations

“Grassroots NGOs and the Emergence of Civil Society in China.” Invited presentation as the 125th Anniversary Distinguished Alumni Speaker for the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Occidental College,  Los Angeles, California, USA, March 5, 2013.

“Establishing a Democratic Culture in Chinese NGOs?” Invited presentation at Rennes 2 University, Rennes, France, February 18, 2013.

Co-Organizer, Workshop on “Civil Society Development and Transformation of Authoritarian Regimes,” with Prof. Chloe Froissart, at L'École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS), Paris, France, February 15, 2013.

“The Rise of Philanthropy and Support for Civil Society in China.” Invited presentation at the Center for Chinese Studies, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, USA, October 8, 2012.

“Who Funds China’s Grassroots NGOs?” Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association, Denver, USA, August 17, 2012.

“Grassroots NGOs in China: Filling in the Landscape." Presented at the International Society for Third-Sector Research, Siena, Italy, July 11, 2012.

“Who is Funding China’s Grassroots NGOs?” Invited presentation at the “International Workshop on Charities and Legitimacy of Organization, Law, Accountability, and Transparency,” Boğaziçi University, Istanbul, Turkey, December 13, 2011.

“Meiguo Jijinhui yu Qi Zhongguo Zizhu Duixiang” (US Foundations and their Chinese Grantees). Invited speaker, Institute for Civil Society and Center on Philanthropy, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, PRC.  October 28, 2011. [In Chinese.]

“Grassroots NGOs in the Pearl River Delta: An Empirical Overview.” Presented at the conference, “Social Issues in the Great Pearl River Delta,” CUHK, Hong Kong, March 5, 2011.

“Learning to be ‘Professional’: Foreign-Funded Training Programs, Study Tours, and China’s Emerging Civil Society.” Presented at the International Sociological Association World Congress 2010, Gothenburg, Sweden. July 14, 2010.

“Democratic Yearnings: The Internal Life of Chinese NGOs and the Cultural Struggle against Authoritarianism.” Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association, San Francisco, USA.  August 8, 2009.

“Ideas from Abroad: Global Civil Society and Its Impact on China.” Presented at the PEWS Mini-conference on “The Social and Natural Limits of Globalization and the Current Conjuncture,” San Francisco, USA.  August 7, 2009.

“Civil Society in an Authoritarian State: Understanding the Emergence and Survival of China’s Grassroots NGOs.” Invited presentation at The Center for Contemporary China, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.  April 29, 2009.

“Ideas from Abroad: Global Civil Society and Its Impact on China.”  Invited speaker at National Taipei University, Taipei, Taiwan.  November 28, 2008.

“Organizational Homophily in International Grantmaking.” Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association, Boston, USA.  August 1, 2008.

“Lessons from Abroad: The Impact of Foreign Funding on Civil Society Development in China.” Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Sociological Association, Vancouver, Canada.  June 5, 2008.

“Grassroots NGOs and Civil Society in China.”  Invited speaker, Annual Board Retreat, The Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Pocantico, NY, USA.  October 10, 2007.

“Zhongguo Dalu Caogen NGO Fazhan yu Xianzhuang” (The Development and Current Situation of Grassroots NGOs in Mainland China).  Invited speaker, Department of Sociology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.  September 5, 2006. [In Chinese.]

“Working around the Law: Grassroots Chinese NGOs and the Issue of Autonomy.” Presented at panel on “Dynamics of Civil Society in East Asia” at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Association of Asian Studies, April 9, 2006.

“Chinese NGOs and the Push for Accountability in a Globalized World.” Presented at the Social Science Workshop on Contemporary China, Yale University, October 3, 2005.

“Jumping into the Sea: Entry into Self-Employment During China's Reform Era.” Presented at the Harvard East Asia Society Graduate Student Conference, Harvard University, February 28, 2004.

“Glossy Subjects: G&L Magazine and Gay, Lesbian, and Tongzhi Cultural Visibility in Taiwan.” Presented at the Harvard East Asia Society Graduate Student Conference, Harvard University, February 20, 1999.

Service to Department/Faculty

Host and Convener, Presentation by Prof. Thomas Gold (UC Berkeley Dept. of Sociology) on January 11, 2011, in the Department of Sociology.

Presenter, Orientation Day Admission Talk, “What is Sociology?” Oct. 10, 2009; Oct. 9, 2010.

Organizer, Junior Faculty Seminar Series, CUHK Department of Sociology, to nurture community and facilitate scholarly exchange within the department. Spring 2008; Spring and Fall 2009.

Member, Academic Exchange Committee, CUHK Department of Sociology.  2008 to present.

Member, Staff-Student Consultation Committee, CUHK Department of Sociology. 2007–2008.

Service to College/University

Host and Convener, Presentation by Prof. Thomas Gold (UC Berkeley Dept. of Sociology) on January 12, 2011, at the CUHK University Services Center.

Organizer, Cross-University Sociology Junior Faculty Seminar Series, to nurture community and facilitate scholarly exchange between junior sociologists at all Hong Kong universities. Spring 2010.

Host Supervisor for Eli Friedman, PhD Candidate in Sociology at the University of California at Berkeley, during his tenure at CUHK as a recipient of the Global Scholarship for Research Excellence.  Nov. – Dec. 2009.

Morningside College, Admissions and Financial Aid Committee Member.  Sept. 2009 to present.

Morningside College, Visitors Committee Member.  Sept. 2009 to present.

Co-founding Associate Director, Centre for Civil Society Studies, Hong Kong Institute for Asia-Pacific Studies, CUHK.  Feb. 2008 to present.

External Community Service

Advisory Board Member, Occidental College McKinnon Family Center for Politics and Global Affairs

Member, Political Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association 2013 Awards Committee for the Distinguished Contribution to Scholarship Award (Article).

Member, Global and Transnational Sociology Section of the American Sociological Association 2013 Awards Committee for the Best Scholarly Publication by an International Scholar Award.

Scholar-Escort for US Congress Senior Staff Delegation to China, with the National Committee on US-China Relations. May 2012.

United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia, Invited Speaker on Board Members’ Visit to Kunming. “China’s Grassroots NGOs: Results from a 3-Site Study.” April 15, 2012.

Henry Luce Foundation and the National Committee on US-China Relations, Invited Speaker. “China’s Grassroots NGOs: Comparing Beijing, Yunnan, and Guangdong.” March 13, 2012.

Community Business, Invited Speaker at Leadership Team Meeting. “NGOs in China: Domestic Challenges and Foreign Support.” November 18, 2011.

Lingnan Foundation, W.T. Chan Fellowship Program, Invited Speaker at Orientation Program. “NGOs in China and the USA: A Comparative Perspective.” June 12, 2011.

American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Invited Speaker. “Cooperating with Chinese NGOs as Part of a Sustainability Strategy.” March 7, 2011.

Hong Kong International School, Focus on China Lecture Series, Invited Speaker. “Grassroots NGOs in China: An Emerging Social Phenomenon.” January 17, 2011.

Clinton Global Initiative, Academic Consultant. Served as advisor to organizers and as facilitator for philanthropists at CGI Asia Meeting in Hong Kong. Jan. to Dec. 2008.

Ford Foundation. Delivered presentation at NGO Capacity Building Roundtable, “Measurement and Evaluation: Comparing Available Resources and Asking How Effectiveness is Measured.” Dec. 2009.

 

Lingnan Foundation. Selection committee member for W.T. Chan International Fellowship Program (March 2009 and March 2010).  Provided pre-departure orientation talks for Sun Yat-sen University and Lingnan University student fellows (July 2008).

Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) – Hong Kong. Participated in external review of China programming and strategy. Feb 2009.

                             

PRC Ministry of Civil Affairs, China Charity and Donation Information Center. Assisted and advised in efforts to standardize data collection on charity in China. 2008 to 2010.

Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Invited Speaker at Board Members’ Annual Retreat. Topic: “Civil Society Development in China.” October 2007.

Yale-China Association. Provided orientation talk for incoming Yale-China teaching fellows and New Asia College – Yale exchange students about civil society and volunteer opportunities in Hong Kong and mainland China. Aug. 2007.

Youth-Based Volunteer Organizations*. Advisor to NGO working on health issues in rural communities across southern China. Jan. 2007 to present.

Various Chinese Grassroots NGOs*. Periodic advisor to several Chinese grassroots NGOs on issues of funding, government relations, and internal governance.  2005 to present.

Various Countries’ Government Aid Agencies*. Periodic advisor to various Chinese and foreign government agencies working to promote civil society development in mainland China. Feb. 2005 to present.

Various International Nongovernmental Organizations*. Periodic advisor to various INGOs already operating in or looking to begin working in mainland China. Feb. 2005 to present.

* Confidentiality concerns preclude naming these organizations.

Research Interests

Chinese Society (Mainland China and Taiwan)

Philanthropy

Global Civil Society

NGOs (Nongovernmental Organizations)

Organizational Culture

Political Theory

Professional Affiliations

Member, American Sociological Association

Member, International Sociological Association

Member, Association for Asian Studies

Member, International Society for Third-Sector Research

Member, National Committee on United States – China Relations

M.Phil. Thesis Committees

Catherine Man Chuen CHENG, “Dangerous Rice Bowl: Risks and Their Management among Chinese Female Sex Workers (FSWs) in Macau” (Sociology, CUHK, 2010), Committee Member. Winner of the 2011 Hong Kong Sociological Association Best Thesis Award.

CHIU Tuen Yi, “Wife Abuse in Cross-border Marriages: Intersections of Migration, Gender, Class, and Culture” (Sociology, CUHK, 2012), Committee Member.

Sin Chi LO, “The Process of Identity Correspondence in Lifestyle Movements: A Case Study of Choi Yuen Village Livelihood Place” (Sociology, CUHK, 2012), General Supervisor.

LIU Ran, “Transformation of Trust Structure: Goal Displacement of Microfinance Institutions in Rural China” (Sociology, CUHK, 2013), Thesis Committee Chair.

Ming LUO, “Reinforcement or Resistance: Functional Marriage in Mainland China” (Gender Studies Program, CUHK, 2012), Committee Member.

SZE Tak On, “Kuangjia yu Jiti Shenfen Rentong: Guangzhou Wenhua Baohu Yundong de Ge’an Yanjiu” [Framing and Collective Identity: A Case Study of Guangzhou’s Cultural Preservation Movement] (Sociology, CUHK, 2012), Committee Member.

ZHU Can, [Title Undeclared] (Sociology, CUHK, expected 2014), General Supervisor.

PhD Dissertation Committees

Tuoqian Xu, [Title Undeclared] (Sociology, CUHK, expected 2015), General Supervisor.

Max Lee, [Title Undeclared] (Sociology, CUHK, expected 2014), Committee Member.

Yingying Ji, Embeddedness and Consequences: Variations of Chinese Social Organizations (Sociology, CUHK, expected 2013), General Supervisor.

Languages

Fluent in Spoken Mandarin and Written Chinese (Simplified and Traditional Characters)

English (Native Language)