Civil society

Civil society refers to the totality of voluntary civic and social organizations and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society as opposed to the force-backed structures of a state (regardless of that state's political system).

Origin

The term is usually attributed to Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, a German philosopher who used the term in Elements of the Philosophy of Right Etext of Philosophy of Right Hegel, 1827 (translated by Dyde, 1897) . In this work, civil society (bürgerliche Gesellschaft in German) was a stage on the dialectical relationship between Hegel's perceived opposites, the macro-community of the state and the micro-community of the family Pelczynski, A.Z.; 1984; 'The Significane of Hegel's speration of the state and civil society' pp1-13 in Pelczynski, A.Z. (ed.); 1984; The State and Civil Society; Cambridge University Press . Broadly speaking, the term was split, like Hegel's followers, to the political left and right. On the left, it became the foundation for Karl Marx's bourgeois society ibid ; to the right it became a description for all non-state aspects of society, expanding out of the economic rigidity of Marxism into culture, society and politics ibid

Definition

There are a myriad definitions of civil society. The London School of Economics Centre for Civil Society working definition is illustrative:

Civil society refers to the arena of uncoerced collective action around shared interests, purposes and values. In theory, its institutional forms are distinct from those of the state, family and market, though in practice, the boundaries between state, civil society, family and market are often complex, blurred and negotiated. Civil society commonly embraces a diversity of spaces, actors and institutional forms, varying in their degree of formality, autonomy and power. Civil societies are often populated by organisations such as registered charities, development non-governmental organisations, community groups, women's organisations, faith-based organisations, professional associations, trade unions, self-help groups, social movements, business associations, coalitions and advocacy groups. Copy of LSE's definition on the British Library's website

The best short overview of the subject is Civil Society by Michael Edwards (Polity Press).

Civil society and democracy

The literature on links between civil society and democracy have their root in early liberal writings like those of de Tocqueville. However they were developed in significant ways by 20th century theorists like Gabriel Almond and Sidney Verba, who identified the role of civil society in a democratic order as vital Almond, G., & Verba, S.; 'The Civic Culture: Political Attitudes And Democracy In Five Nations; 1989; Sage.

They argued that the political element of many civil society organisations facilitates better awareness and a more informed citizenry, who make better voting choices, participate in Politics, and hold government to account better as a result 'ibid'.

More recently, Robert Putnam has argued that even non-political organisations in civil society are vital for democracy. This is because they build social capital, trust and shared values, which are transferred into the political sphere and help to hold society together, facilitating an understanding of the interconnectedness of society and interests within it Putnam, R.; Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions In Modern Italy; 1993; Princeton.

Others, however, have questioned how democratic civil society actually is. Some have noted that the civil society actors have now obtained a remarkable amount of political power without anyone directly electing or appointing them Agnew, John; 2002; 'Democracy and Human Rights' in Johnston, R.J., Taylor, Peter J. and Watts, Michael J. (eds); 2002; Geographies of Global Change; Blackwell .

Civil society and globalisation

The term civil society is currently often used by critics and activists as a reference to sources of resistance to and the domain of social life which needs to be protected against globalization. This is because it is seen as acting beyond boundaries and across different territories Mann, Michael; 1984; The Autonomous Power of The State: Its Origins, Mechanisms and Results; European Journal of Sociology 25: pp185-213 . However, as for civil society can, under many definitions, include those businesses and institutions who support globalization, this is a contested use United Nations: Partners in Civil Society .

On the other hand others see globalization as a social phenomenon bringing classical liberal values which inevitably lead to a larger role for civil society at the expense to politically derived state institutions.

Examples of civil society institutions

non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
private voluntary organizations (PVOs)
peoples' organizations
community-based organizations
Intermediary organizations for the voluntary and non-profit sector
community foundations
Community leadership development programs
civic clubs
trade unions
gender, cultural, and religious groups
charities
social and sports clubs
cooperatives
environmental groups
professional associations
academia
businesses
policy institutions
consumers/consumer organizations
the media
citizens' militia
religious organizations
civic groups
community organizations
clubs

Whether all of these institutions are by definition part of civil society is up for debate. Neera Chandhoke, a scientist from India, thinks not. She concludes that only institutions that are critical of the state are the real thing, while the rest are merely not governmental The key here is that not every institution is a 'countervailing power' to the state. In developing countries, civil society is popular with aid donors because it can make government behave in a better way. But mock civil society organisations can exist that serve only to gain access to development aid .

Some noted scholars of civil society

Notes

References

Edwards, Michael. Civil Society. Cambridge, England: Polity Press, 2004. ISBN 0745631339.

External links

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