Name: Everyday Democracy – Civil Society, Youth, & Struggle Against Authoritarian
Start: 2025-10-16T16:30:00-04:00
End: 2025-10-16T18:00:00-04:00
Location: Weatherhead East Asian Institute (located at the School of International and Public Affairs)

Prof. Spires' book, Everyday Democracy, shows that even in an authoritarian state, bottom-up org. nurture skills & habits of democracy.
About this Event

Full Talk TItle: Everyday Democracy – Civil Society, Youth, and the Struggle Against Authoritarian Culture in China

Speaker: Anthony J. Spires, Associate Professor, Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies, The University of Melbourne

Moderator: Yao Lu, Professor of Sociology, Columbia University

Profesor Spires is a sociologist and leading scholar on civil society in China. He is the author of two books: Global Civil Society and China (Cambridge), and Everyday Democracy (Columbia University Press). His talk will be based on his most recent book, Everyday Democracy. This book shows that even in an authoritarian state, bottom-up organizations nurture the skills and habits of democracy. This work pinpoints the seeds of a democratic culture inside an authoritarian regime.

Speaker's Bio: Anthony J. Spires is Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies. His research focuses on the development of civil society in China, including philanthropy, regulation, and the cultures of non-profit organisations. He has published widely in leading journals, including The American Journal of Sociology, The China Journal, China Quarterly, and Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. A graduate of Occidental College, Anthony holds a PhD in Sociology from Yale University.

This event is hosted by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute.

For non-Columbia affiliates, registration is required to access the Morningside campus. After registering you will receive an email with a QR code that must be presented along with a government-issued ID (your name must match exactly the name registered for the event) at either the 116th Street & Broadway or 116th Street & Amsterdam gates for entry. Please register using a unique email address (one email address per registrant) by 4:00pm on Oct. 15 for campus access.

Names will be submitted for QR codes 1-2 days prior to the event. Registrants will receive an email from CU Guest Access with the QR code before or on the day of the event.