Institutional Amphibiousness and the Transition from Communism: The Case of China

1994 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 293-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. L. Ding
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Social Science ◽  
The State ◽  
Recent Attempt ◽  
Conceptual Schema

In the practice of social science, the most conspicuous recent attempt at theorizing about nonconformity and protest in late communism rests on the conceptual schema of ‘civil society versus the state’. Based on a case study of the institutional basis of criticism of, and dissent against, communism in China, I contend that the dichotomous concept ‘civil society versus the state’. when used to explain the transition from communism, is applicable only in rare, extreme cases and misleading in most cases. Instead, I introduce the concept of ‘institutional amphibiousness’, stressing institutional parasitism and institutional manipulation and conversion. In most cases, institutional amphibiousness more adequately accounts for the dynamics of the erosion of communism than the concept of ‘civil society versus the state’.

FUNDAMENTALISM, BUREAUCRATIZATION, AND THE STATE'S CO-OPTATION OF RELIGION: A JORDANIAN CASE STUDY

2006 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 369-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard T. Antoun
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Middle East ◽  
The State ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Half Century ◽  
The Past ◽  
Equal Duration ◽  
Past Half Century ◽  
Past Half

In the Middle East over the past half-century, three religious processes have grown together. One, the growth of fundamentalism, has received worldwide attention both by academics and journalists. The others, the bureaucratization of religion and the state co-optation of religion, of equal duration but no less importance, have received much less attention. The bureaucratization of religion focuses on the hierarchicalization of religious specialists and state co-optation of religion focuses on their neutralization as political opponents. Few commentators link the three processes. In Jordan, fundamentalism, the bureaucratization of religion (BOR), and state co-optation of religion (SCR) have become entwined sometimes in mutually supportive and sometimes in antagonistic relations. The following case study will describe and analyze the implications of this mutual entanglement for the relations of state and civil society and for the human beings simultaneously bureaucratized and “fundamentalized.”

scholarly journals The Ambiguities of Disciplinary Professionalization: The State and Cultural Dynamics of Canadian Inter-war Anthropology

2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 37-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Nurse
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Social Science ◽  
The State ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Professional Status ◽  
National Museum ◽  
Cultural Dynamics ◽  
New Developments ◽  
The Matrix

Abstract The professionalization of Canadian anthropology in the first half of the twentieth century was tied closely to the matrix of the federal state, first though the Anthropology Division of the Geological Survey of Canada and then the National Museum. State anthropologists occupied an ambiguous professional status as both civil servants and anthropologists committed to the methodological and disciplinary imperatives of modern social science but bounded and guided by the operation of the civil service. Their position within the state served to both advance disciplinary development but also compromised disciplinary autonomy. To address the boundaries the state imposed on its support for anthropology, state anthropologists cultivated cultural, intellectual, and commercially-oriented networks that served to sustain new developments in their field, particularly in folklore. This essay examines these dynamics and suggests that anthropology's disciplinary development did not create a disjunctive between professionalized scholarship and civil society.

scholarly journals Towards Addressing the Challenges Bedeviling the Strategies of Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’a Wa’iqamatis-Sunnah in the Democratization Process of Katsina State-Nigeria

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Musa Kabir Umar ◽  
Muhammad Ainuddin Iskandar Lee bin Abdul ◽  
Kamarul Zaman Bn Hajj Yusouf
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
The State ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Civic Association ◽  
Empirically Supported ◽  
Personal Experiences

The paper investigates the challenges bedeviling the strategies of an Islamic civil society organization known as Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’a Wa’iqamtis-Sunnah [JIBWIS] popularly known as Izala in the democratization process of Katsina State-Nigeria with a view to proffering solutions. A lot of problems have been militating against the efforts of Izala Islamic civil society association towards improving the quality of the democratic order. As a case study qualitative research inquiry, the study was conducted through an in-depth semi-structured interview with 18 key informant’s personal experiences on the phenomenon. Analysis of data was done by using NVivo 12 which significantly aided in the coding, categorization and data management which produced the themes and sub-themes. System theory was used as a framework in the explanation of the phenomenon. The study found out that there are myriads of problematic issues related to the strategies used by the Izala organization; which negates their strategies in the democratization process. Furthermore, the study has identified the various ways in which such strategies could be strengthened for the Islamic organization to give a positive impact on the advancement of the democratization process in the State. Thus, the study presents a conceptually and empirically supported framework to describe the strategies of Islamic civic association in the democratization process of the state. In effect, therefore, the lingering Izala strategy’s crises in the democratization process was explored and analyzed. The study is particularly useful for religious civil societies, politicians, policy-makers, and researchers by identifying and proposing the ways in which the state, political parties, religious organizations, and other democratic stakeholders should conduct and relate in a nascent democratizing society. The analysis points toward the potential for change in the strategies of Izala Islamic civil society in the democratization process.

Nationalizing Islam, Islamizing the Nation

2019 ◽  
pp. 185-214
Author(s):  
Khairudin Aljunied
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Culture Wars ◽  
The State ◽  
Alternative Form ◽  
Islamic Movements ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Islamic Resurgence ◽  
Malaysian Politics ◽  
Shed Light

This concluding chapter turns the reader’s attention to global Islamic resurgence as an alternative form of triumphalist Islamization. The state attempted, on many occasions, to tame this resurgent and equally Malay-triumphalist Islam through coercive and co-optation strategies. The effectiveness of these policies reached its zenith in 1998 on the eve of the Reformasi Movement. Islamic movements and Islamic opposition parties closed ranks and battled against the state’s hegemony. They derived their strength and inspiration from a globalized Islam. Amidst this struggle between the state and civil society actors, the notion of a total Islamization of society, of “halalization” and the implementation of the shari’a to cover all aspects of Muslim life bound the opposing groups together, causing much anxiety for non-Muslims and inspiring the development of counter-Islamization and liberal civil society groups. This book closes with brief reflections on recent developments in Malaysia. After a millennium’s journey analyzed through the lenses of entwined history, it is clear to me that Islamization in Malaysia is now in a state of flux. Debates over halal (permissible) food, the hudud, the prohibition of the use of “Allah” by non-Muslims, sectarianism among Sufis and Salafis, culture wars between liberals and conservatives, and regime change that saw the end of UMNO’s dominance in Malaysian politics, among many others, indicate that Islam in Malaysia is, without a doubt, a riveting case study that can shed light on the ways in which Islam in other parts of the world has developed over time. This book is an invitation to a deeper attentiveness to that past and to recognizing that the histories and destinies of Muslims, wherever they may be, have always been entwined.

scholarly journals Politicized Civil Society in Bangladesh: Case Study Analyses

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farhat Tasnim
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Social Development ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Local Level ◽  
The State ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Typical Scenario

Although civil society in Bangladesh is recognized for its vibrant performance in social development, it is often criticized for its inability to ensure good governance and democracy. The aim of this paper is to point out the reasons for this failure of civil society. Through performing case studies upon five civil society organizations representing different sector and level of the civil society, the paper concludes that civil society organizations in Bangladesh are often politicized and co-opted by different political parties. In a typical scenario, civil society can provide a counterbalance or even monitor the state both at the national and local level. However, in Bangladesh, often the civil society organizations have compromised their autonomy and politicized themselves to certain political parties or political block. In such a vulnerable position, civil society can hardly play its expected role to ensure good governance and strengthen democracy.

Transforming state–civil society relations: centralization and externalization in refugee education

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 ◽  
pp. 32-54
Author(s):  
Maissam Nimer
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Humanitarian Assistance ◽  
The State ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Refugee Education ◽  
State Institutions ◽  
The Public

AbstractIn the context of the arrival of Syrians as of 2011 and the subsequent humanitarian assistance received in light of the EU–Turkey deal in 2016, there has been increased control over civil society organizations (CSOs) in Turkey. Through the case study of language education, this paper examines the relationship between the state and CSOs as shaped by the presence of Syrian refugees and how it evolved through the autonomy of state bureaucracy. It demonstrates that increased control led to the proliferation of larger projects, the deterrence of smaller CSOs, and a hierarchy between organizations prioritizing those that are aligned with the state. It argues that this policy is not only the result of the increased lack of trust between state and civil society but also an attempt to channel funds through state institutions to handle an unprecedented number of refugees while externalizing some of its functions. At the same time, this emerging relationship effectively allows the state to avoid making long-term integration policies and facing growing tensions among the public. This study is based on a qualitative study encompassing interviews with state officials as well as stakeholders in different types of CSOs that deliver language education for adults.

scholarly journals Aspects of Expanding the Interaction between the State and Civil Society

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (71) ◽  
pp. 108-125
Author(s):  
Olena I. Kravchenko ◽  
Oksana S. Dudchenko ◽  
Iryna S. Kunenko ◽  
Oleksandr Spodynskyi ◽  
Oksana V. Deliia
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
The State ◽  
Public Confidence ◽  
Sociological Analysis ◽  
Effective Protection ◽  
Foreign Countries ◽  
State And Society ◽  
Rights And Interests ◽  
Case Study Methods

The aim of this study was a holistic analysis of aspects of expanding the interaction between the state and civil society on the example of the experience of foreign countries, namely Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, and Poland. The research involves such methods as sociological analysis, systemic and case study methods, structural and comparative methods, as well as the dialectical method. The factors of expanding the interaction of the judiciary as a representative of the state, which protects the rights and interests of civil society, were identified in accordance with the results of the study. As a result, conclusions were drawn on the need for the judiciary, as a representative of the state, to use methods to expand the interaction between the state and society, in the person of every citizen. The use of those factors in relation to such interaction will further help increase public confidence in the state, which will ensure effective protection of the rights and interests of society.

10. Civil Society

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Ottaway
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Social Science ◽  
Developing World ◽  
The United States ◽  
The State ◽  
European Countries ◽  
International Assistance

This chapter examines the concept of civil society. During the 1990s, civil society was a relatively obscure concept familiar mostly to scholars of Marxism. It then evolved into a mainstream term freely used by social science analysts in general, and by practitioners in the international assistance field in particular. Several factors contributed to these developments, including the growing interest in the United States and many European countries in promoting democracy abroad at that time. The chapter first defines civil society before discussing traditional vs modern civil society. It then considers the rise of civil society as an entity separate from the broader society and from the state, along with the state-civil society relations in the developing world. Finally, it explores how the concept of civil society became an important part of discussions of democratization.

Socialism, Labor, and the State

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Bevir
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
Civil Society ◽  
Social Science ◽  
State Intervention ◽  
The State ◽  
Social Democratic ◽  
Labor Party ◽  
Democratic State ◽  
The Social ◽  
Liberal Concept

This concluding chapter explores the later roles of Marxism, Fabianism, and ethical socialism in the Independent Labor Party, the Labor Party, and the social democratic state. The dominant strand of socialism fused Fabianism with ethical socialism. It promoted a labor alliance to win state power within a liberal, representative democracy, and then to use the state to promote social justice. Later in the twentieth century, the rise of modernist social science altered the type of knowledge on which the Labor Party relied, with Fabian approaches to the state and policy giving way to planning, Keynesianism, and other formal expertise. Whatever type of knowledge the Labour Party relied upon to guide state intervention, it was constantly challenged by socialists opposed to its liberal concept of democracy and the role it gave to the state. These latter socialists often advocated the democratization of associations within civil society itself.

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