费孝通
The social anthropologist Fei Xiaotong is considered the first to have proposed the introduction of the idea of shequ in China. The introduction of shequ started after the collapse of the previously existing social institutions ("danwei") during the mid-1990s. Shequ were supposed to relieve the state of certain duties and responsibilities by transferring them to citizens participating in the shequ. They take over responsibilities which in democratic states are assumed by organisations of the civil community.