Suchergebnisse

Civil society has been a guiding concept for political activists in Eastern Europe for the past twenty-five years. The profound changes in the region since 1989 have provoked disagreement & confusion about the application of this concept. During the final decades of resistance to communist rule, civil society & government were seen as in an antagonistic relation; but when dissidents came to occupy governmental positions, some made the claim that "civil society is in power." It is argued that this claim misunderstands the functions of civil society & the distinct forms of power exercised by civil society & by government. Some key characteristics of the current transition regimes in Eastern Europe are discussed to illustrate the particular difficulties & challenges that civil society faces under the current political circumstances. AA

After describing the civil republican & pluralist/multiculturalist models of communitarianism, it is asserted that the latter paradigm must assist the former in resuscitating civil society. The principal obstacles to such an effort are identified as the fragmentation of civil society, the prevalence of inequality in communities, & civil society's dependence on volunteer labor. It is contended that individuals must become more involved in associational life to sustain political reform; moreover, political reform is necessary to combat various forms of inequality that plague civil society. Rather than strengthen associations, individuals must strive for a pluralist identity in which they participate in multiple associations. In addition, groups that perceive themselves as politically underrepresented must participate in democracy. Rather than providing volunteer workers with guaranteed salaries, an alternative that provides subsistence wages & benefits & allows individuals to maintain their volunteer status is advocated. It is concluded that neoliberalism must be eliminated for civil society to flourish. J. W. Parker

A review essay on books by (1) Ariel C. Armony, The Dubious Link: Civic Engagement and Democratization (Stanford, CA: Stanford U Press, 2004); (2) Carlos Forment, Democracy in Latin America: Civic Selfhood and Public Life in Mexico and Peru, 1760-1900 (Chicago: U Chicago Press, 2003); & (3) Marc Morje Howard, The Weakness of Civil Society in Post-Communist Europe (New York: Cambridge U Press, 2003). For much of the past two decades, students of democracy have operated under the spell of civil society. A new & extensive body of literature, however, suggests the limits of this evocative concept in explaining the making & maintenance of democratic regimes. Despite its recent popularity, civil society remains mired in conceptual confusion regarding what the term is meant to represent. More important, the theoretical agenda underpinning the civil society revival lacks much of a foundation in real-life politics. A central problem is the tendency to treat civil society's effects on politics in isolation from the political context. Adapted from the source document.

A Brazilian view of the World Social Forum, in its regional & international context, how the landscape of the world's Left has changed, & whether the ideologies of nongovernmental organization & civil society are capable of resisting what they criticize. Adapted from the source document.

Reconsiders the arguments put forward in Friedrich Engels & Karl Marx's The Communist Manifesto (1848) in the context of recent debates in the US about the revival of civil society. It is suggested that the contemporary Left would do well to revisit the central role of politics in The Communist Manifesto as a means of organizing the working classes & subserving a wider economic revolution. Calls on the Left for greater attention to the institutions of civil society are taken to rely on Alexis de Tocqueville's view that the state represents the greatest threat to freedom. Evidence from recent scholarship is marshaled to demonstrate that civil society is fundamentally structured by class relations. Thus, it is argued that economic stratification represents the greatest threat to political freedom; a politics of social class must go through the state rather than ignore it. It is concluded that a revival of the labor movement will eventually shatter the leftist intelligentsia's fascination with culture, identity, & civil society. Meanwhile, it remains essential to stress the importance of the political struggle against it & for the state. D. M. Smith

The article is aimed at providing arguments in favor of the vital role of civil society in the institutional infrastructure of socio-economic development. Civil society is explored both as a social phenomenon and as a theoretical concept. Civilization-based and formation-based characteristics underlying forms and contents of civil society in different countries are highlighted. Some conclusions regarding the future prospects of civil society development in Russia and around the world are suggested.

Burma's leaders and the people themselves need to understand that people are the essential element for building a nation. Without contributions and cooperation from people, change cannot happen. For our country to develop, we need an informed and engaged citizenry. Citizens also need to have the skill, knowledge, and freedom to question those in power -- and to do so publicly, without fear. Adapted from the source document.

Abstract
Both the concept and the issue of civil society is a matter of dispute in respect of theory and practice alike. The present paper has a triple ambition: outlining the history of ideas behind the concept, providing an interpretation, and carrying out a distinct analysis of the processes characteristic of the East-Central European region. Owing to the unrealistic expectations formed around the concept, mystification poses a great danger to present-day civil society. In what follows, we will analyse the dilemmas evolved around the issue of civil society.