Some Reflections on ‘Civil Society’ and Political Change

1998 ◽  
pp. 23-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Gibbon
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Political Change

11. Social Capital and Civil Society

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Letki
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Political Change ◽  
New Democracies ◽  
Modern Democracy ◽  
Civic Activism ◽  
Trust And Reciprocity ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter examines the role of civil society and social capital in democratization processes. It begins by reconstructing the definitions of civil society and social capital in the context of political change, followed by an analysis of the ways in which civil society and social capital are functional for the initiation and consolidation of democracies. It then considers the relationship between civil society and attitudes of trust and reciprocity, the function of networks and associations in democratization, paradoxes of civil society and social capital in new democracies, and main arguments cast against the idea that civic activism and attitudes are a necessary precondition for a modern democracy. The chapter argues that civil society and social capital and their relation to political and economic institutions are context specific.

La société civile au Liban: ses forces et ses faiblesses

2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-301
Author(s):  
Fadia Kiwan
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Political Change ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Critical Mass ◽  
The State ◽  
Active Components ◽  
The Government ◽  
Société Civile

This paper investigates the multiple faces of Lebanese civil society, particularly focusing on the evolutions of the recent years. It reconstructs the state of the art in this field in order to see if Lebanese civil society could represent an alternative to ‘communitarian society’ and to the government of the traditional elites. The analysis starts from some relevant questions: which are, today, the most active components of Lebanese civil society and to which extent are they able to trigger change? To what extent the participation of the associations in Lebanon could be considered a mean of democratizationor, at least, a mean of political change? Was it possible for the civil society’s Organisations crossing the border lines of communitarianism, to develop a critical mass for change?The domestic and regional evolutions show a very complicated panorama where it seems very difficult to get out of confessionalism.

Mexico: The Challenge of Democracy

1995 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
César Cansino
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Political System ◽  
Political Change ◽  
Political Regime ◽  
Political Crisis ◽  
Significant Development ◽  
The Past ◽  
Made In

THE MEXICAN POLITICAL SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY GOING through the most turbulent, disconcerting and complex end of a sexenio, or six-year presidential term, in memory. This is not the usual internal turmoil which has traditionally accompanied every change of administration, but a political crisis so great that it portends a process of political change destined to transform the very nature of the Mexican political regime itself.It may not be altogether new for this political regime to face the ‘democratic demands’ of important sectors of civil society; these demands have been made in the past in a variety of ways and with various consequences. However, this time the call for democracy constitutes an authentic challenge to the continuity and autonomy of the regime, and this is an extraordinary, highly significant development.

scholarly journals ISLAM DAN PENGUATAN CIVIL SOCIETY DI INDONESIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-47
Author(s):  
Besse Tenriabeng Mursyid
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Alternative Model ◽  
Political Change ◽  
Cultural Community ◽  
Indonesian Population ◽  
Leading Position ◽  
Solid Foundation ◽  
Religious Factors ◽  
Dominant Tendency

The idea and strengthening of civil society praxis is an alternative model for the struggle towards democratization. In Indonesia, efforts to strengthen civil society cannot be separated from Islam as the religion practiced by the majority of the Indonesian population. Efforts to strengthen civil society cannot ignore religious factors, especially Islam. In fact, in certain cases the existence of Muslims who are inspired by Islamic teachings is the basis for socio-cultural and even political change in Indonesia. The potential of Islamic teachings, which contain elements of beliefs and norms and ethical teachings related to the socio-cultural community practiced by Indonesian Muslims, are very large in determining the socio-cultural format of society. Likewise, in the effort to strengthen civil society, Muslims occupy a leading position which can be expected to be a counterweight to the country's dominant tendency. In other words, quantitatively, Muslims based on Islamic teachings have a prerequisite for the growth and strengthening of civil society in Indonesia. Islam as a religion that is embraced by the majority of Indonesians is a solid foundation in encouraging the strengthening of civil society in Indonesia.

Social and Political Victims Become the Founders of a New Democratic Civil Society under Dictatorial Rule

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Musil
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Institutional Change ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Political Change ◽  
Spanish History ◽  
Democratic Change

With this paper I would like to contribute to the on-going re-evaluation of the role of the different agents of social and political change during the Democratisation process not only in Catalonia, but also in overall Spain. Re-evaluation, in which sometimes Democratisation of society, political change and institutional change are confounded. The anti-Francoist Movements in Barcelona, I will present here, are not anything new for the scientific community of the late Francoism and Democratic Change in Spain.However,  I ask you to read this article in the broader framework of this present re-evaluation of the contemporary Spanish history.

Civil Society Approach

2019 ◽  
pp. 151-160
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Ekiert
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Political Change ◽  
Distinct Mode ◽  
Quality Of Democracy ◽  
Beneficial Role ◽  
Political Transformations ◽  
Over Time

The idea of civil society resurrected in the 1970s has been one of the most important concepts guiding reflection on political transformations of contemporary societies. This chapter discusses various understandings of the concept and the asserted role civil society has in shaping political and economic outcomes. It points to established consensus on the beneficial role of civil society as a political project and a set of normative principles, but it emphasizes disagreements about how civil society is defined and measured, how it evolves over time, what dimensions of politics and public policy it shapes, and what are the mechanisms through which it affects the quality of democracy and resistance to authoritarianism. It also explores the idea of the civil society strategy as a distinct mode of political transformations as opposed to the revolutionary strategy. Finally, it suggests that civil society can be construed as a discrete analytical optics for analysing political change.

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