Suchergebnisse

Contestations in Global Civil Societyexamines the ways in which the global community is dealing with heightened destabilization and takes a close look at shifts accompanying the resurrection of civil society discourses such as political mobilization, polarization, responsibility, and participation.

In recent years, civil society has become the darling of economists, political scientists and policy makers both in the Western and non-Western world. The discourse on the modern concept of civil society in Nepal is fairly new despite the age-old existence of civic practices. But those civic practices of civil society were of a different kind, endowed with different responsibilities, and can hardly be equated with the current notion of civil society. That was a civil society with a limited civic sphere, engaged in indigenous activities which contributed little towards citizenship building. The reason for this was that the civic space was either pre-determined or restricted by the state due to a primitive political structure based on parochial thinking. This might be one of the reasons why civic resurgence did not emerge until political change irrupted in the nineties. The Third Wave of democratization that swept away undemocratic regimes worldwide in fact led to a worldwide growth of civil society. In most cases the wave itself was the repercussion of a worldwide civic resurrection that could not be contained within the borders of nation-states. (.) ; Background The Development of Civil Society as an Idea The Rise of Civil Society as a Political Tool State of Civil Society in Nepal Civil Society as a New Avatar Conclusion References

Since the fall of communism in 1989 Southeast Europe has been a site of far-reaching societal transformation, much of it marked by political crisis, economic upheaval, ethnic tension, and bitter war. The book comprises articles investigating the history and development of civil society in post-communist Southeast Europe. How is civil society to be grasped, what are the historical factors shaping the civil societies of the region?, what is the function of civil society in the transition to democracy and a market-economy?, and what are the prospects for the future development of the civil societies of the region in an age of globalization?, -these are just a few of the major questions addressed in this collection of articles. Many of the authors are social scientists, philosophers, and activists from the region, offering first-hand critical analysis of the state of civil society in Southeast Europe and suggesting theoretical and practical strategies for the future course of its development. The aim is to provide the reader with insight into the complex challenges that face the civil societies of the region

State, civil society, and classical liberalism /Steven Scalet and David Schmidtz --Classical liberalism and civil society : definitions, history, and relations /Tom G. Palmer --Civil society and government : a liberal-egalitarian perspective /Will Kymlicka --Liberal egalitarianism : a family of theories, not a single view /William A. Galston --Critical theory perspective on civil society and the state /Kenneth Baynes --Skeptics at the celebration : civil society and the early Frankfurt School /Stephen K. White --Feminist perspectives on civil society and government /Nancy L. Rosenblum --Comment on Nancy Rosenblum's "Feminist Perspectives on Civil Society and Government" /Susan Moller Okin --Natural law, civil society, and government /Fred D. Miller, Jr. --Natural law : a response /William M. Sullivan --Limited state and a vibrant society : Christianity and civil society /John A. Coleman --Christianity, civil society, and the state : a Protestant response /Max L. Stackhouse --Civil society and government : seeking Judaic insights /Noam J. Zohar --Response to Noam Zohar /David Biale --Civil society and government in Islam /John Kelsay --Perspectives on Islam and civil society /Farhad Kazemi.

"Governance Through Civil Society" published on by Oxford University Press.

In the second part of a symposium held 28 Nov 1989 (see abstract of part 1 in this section of SA 40:3), a broader examination is undertaken of the phenomenon of social movements in the Soviet republics. In Informal Activity and the Soviet Working Class, Russell Bova (Dickinson Coll, Carlisle, Pa) discusses the dialectical interaction between Mikhail Gorbachev & the Soviet working class, whose informal & unofficial social & political activities have been preempted by Gorbachev for his own political purposes. It is contended that the participatory reforms enacted by the Supreme Soviet were to give the workers the impression that they could become "masters of their own enterprise," & therefore would work harder despite the economic hardships the Soviet leaders knew lay ahead. In The Role of Informal Groups and Independent Associations in the Evolution of Civil Society in the Soviet Union, Mark Pomar (Board for International Broadcasting, Washington, DC) draws on both current Soviet analysis & traditional Western perspectives to discuss the general concept of civil society in the USSR, delineating Gorbachev's goals & strategies & speculating on his chances for success. In State Response to Informal Groups, Jim Butterfield (Western Michigan U, Kalamazoo) synthesizes the experiences of three distinct social movements -- those of Latvia, Byelorussia, & Moscow (Russia) -- & suggests a typology that provides a better understanding of the Soviet state's varying responses to these movements. In Discussion, the contributors are joined by symposium moderator Alexander Motyl, coordinator Judith B. Sedaitis (Columbia U, New York, NY), & members of the symposium audience for further comments on the role of social movements in the politicoeconomic transformation of the USSR. J. W. Stanton

Are young people blindly self-interested? How does university shape students' political participation? Can busy parents and grandparents find time to volunteer? Challenging conventional thinking, leading academics explore how individuals' relationships with civil society change over time as different lifecourse events and stages trigger and hinder civic engagement. Drawing on personal narratives, longitudinal cohort studies and national surveys, this unprecedented study considers rarely examined aspects of civic engagement including school students' sense of social responsibility and the charitable legacy bequests of elderly people and highlights significant implications for those promoting greater civic and political participation.