本文旨在探討自60年代末期至今,香港基層組織的萌芽與發展。文章分析它們對民主運動的貢獻及代議政制的發展如何支援基層組織;繼而探討基層組織與民主派政黨的關係:相互依存及歧見等;此外,並討論基層組織在90年代所面對的困難及挑戰。本文亦論及香港社會價值觀對基層組織發展的影響。由於已發表的文獻十分有限,作者訪問了不少香港基層組織的活躍份子,以瞭解其實際情況。
This article examines the emergence and development of grassroots community organizations in Hong Kong from the late 1960s to the present. It analyzes their contribution to the democratization movement and how they in turn have been supported by the development of representative government. The article then considers the relationship between grassroots community organizations and the pro-democratic political parties: their mutual support, tensions, etc. Difficulties and challenges that grassroots community organizations faced in the 1990s are discussed. An attempt has also been made to study the impact of the community's value standards on the development of grassroots groups. As published literature on the subject is limited, the author relies heavily on the interviews with the leading grassroots activists.