Civil Society as Public Space and Democratic Participation

Eco-ethica ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 47-61
Author(s):  
Manuel B. Dy ◽  

This paper attempts to show how civil society has served as public space and democratic participation in a society, in particular in Philippine society. It consists of three parts. The first part tries to delineate what constitutes civil society. The second part discusses the antinomies of elite democracy and participatory democracy, of rights-oriented liberalism and communitarianism, of welfare state and free market, and how civil society answers these antinomies. The third part surveys the role of civil society as public space and democratic participation in Philippine society. The paper concludes with the challenges in the context of the new dictatorial regime of President Rodrigo Duterte.

2010 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peadar Kirby

This article develops a theoretical framework to consider the symbiotic relationship between civil society, social movements and the Irish state. Civil society, largely through social movements, laid the foundations for an independent Irish state in the half-century before independence. Following independence, the nature of the civil society–state relationship changed; civil society became much more dependent on the state. The article empirically traces the nature of society's relationship to the state since the 1920s, and examines the nature of the political system and its major political party, Fianna Fáil, the structure of the economy, and the dominance of particular understandings of the role of civil society and the nature of society itself. The period since the advent of social partnership in 1987 is examined; this period marks a new attempt by the state to co-opt organised civil society making it subservient to its project of the imposition on society of the requirements of global corporate profit-making. The more forceful implementation of a global free-market project by the Irish state since the 1980s, and the co-option of organised civil society into this project, has left huge space for an alternative to emerge, the potential of which was indicated by the success of the ‘No’ campaign in the 2008 Lisbon referendum campaign.


Author(s):  
Akmal Nasriddinovich Abdullaev ◽  

The article analyzes one of the most pressing problems of the third millennium from a socio-philosophical point of view: the importance of religious values in the formation of civil society, dialectical relationships, compatibility and problems of Islamic values and values of civil society.


Author(s):  
Selin Çağatay ◽  
Mia Liinason ◽  
Olga Sasunkevich

AbstractThis chapter lays out the theoretical foundation of the book. It conceptualizes resistance as a space in-between small-scale mundane practices with a low level of collective organizing and large-scale protest activities which often exemplify resistance in social movement studies. In line with feminist and queer conceptualization of resistance, the authors suggest to examine multi-scalarity of resistant practices. The chapter attends to three scales of feminist and LGBTI+  activism in Russia, Turkey, and Scandinavia. The first scale analyzes activism in relation to the civil society-state-market triad. The second scale problematizes the notion of solidarity in relations between feminist and LGBTI+  activists from different geopolitical regions and countries as well as between small- and large-scale activist organizations and groups. Finally, the third scale focuses on individual resistant practices and the role of individual bodies in emergence of collective political struggles.


2009 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 70-82
Author(s):  
Jolita Linkevičiūtė-Rimavičienė

Straipsnio tikslas – nagrinėti specifinį spaudos vaidmenį viename iš visuomenės raidos etapų: kuriantis naujai socialinei struktūrai, pilietinei bendruomenei ir jai aktyviai dalyvaujant pirmoje viešosios srities raidos pakopoje. Lietuvoje, kaip ir kitose posovietinėse šalyse, kuriose totalitarinės ideologijos dominavimas deformavo tiesos ir identiteto sampratas, keičiantis visuomeninei struktūrai, psichologinio saugumo poreikis ir lūkesčiai, kuriant geresnę ateitį, buvo susiję su spauda, tuo laikotarpiu atlikusia kompensuojamąją funkciją. Įvykiai Rytų Europoje, buvusioje Sovietų sąjungoje iki 1990-ųjų skatino ginkluotus konfliktus. „Dainuojanti revoliucija“ Baltijos valstybėse tyrėjų vertinama politinės raidos modelio aspektu. „Nacionalizmas be žiaurumo“ suvokiamas kaip fenomenas, sąlygotas baltų istorinio ir kultūrinio paveldo, palyginti su agresyviu serbų, kroatų, kaukaziečių nacionalizmu, pasireiškusiu išsivaduojant iš sovietinio „tautų kapinyno“.Neginkluotą nacionalinį pasipriešinimo judėjimą ir skirtingų visuomenės grupių Lietuvoje, Latvijoje ir Estijoje dialogą organizavo ir rėmė laisvėjanti spauda. Visuomenės informavimo priemonių, kaip įtakingos socialinės jėgos, analizė; spaudos, mobilizuojančios, koordinuojančios ir drąsinančios žmones atvirai reikšti savo nuomonę, vaidmens identifikavimas bus naudingas tolesnei tyrimų, nagrinėjančių Lietuvos atgimimo spaudą ir jos raidos etapus 1988–1991 metais, eigai. Visuomenės teisė gauti informaciją yra politinė, spaudos sąsajų su pilietine visuomene kontekstualizavimas svarbus kaip teorinis pagrindas, tiriant medijų funkcijas bei uždavinius demokratėjant visuomenei ir palankios piliečių sąmoningumui vystytis kuriant aplinką. Ši tema nėra tirta, XX a. devintojo dešimtmečio Lietuvos žiniasklaida apžvelgiama tik istoriografinės analizės aspektu, nepakanka dėmesio laisvėjančiam žiniasklaidos diskursui ir jo įtakai vertybių kaitos požiūriu.Pagrindiniai žodžiai: visuomeniniai pokyčiai, spaudos vaidmuo, spaudos laisvė, žurnalistinė atsakomybė, viešoji erdvė, piliečiai.Media, change and civil societyJolita Linkevičiūtė-Rimavičienė SummaryThe purpose of the article is to attract attention to the role of press and its meaning in the context of civil society in one of the developmental stages of democracy. After the social structure had changed in Lithuania, as in other post soviet countries where the totalitarian ideology deformed the concepts of truth and identity, the need and expectations of psychological security to create a better future were directly related to the press.On the grounds of political philosophy, the imperative of public space as an imperative of a basic democracy institution which appears when the members of community create and support it, is analyzed. Analyzing the way in which the press as one of the governmental blocks participates in the maintenance of public space because of itself and represents the citizens, shows the level of public discussion quality and community information. The right of society to receive information is political since the awareness guarantees the realization of universal freedom; the purification of press links with civil society is important as a theoretical basis when examining the role of media in the periods of societal changes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-25
Author(s):  
Tetiana Kuzhda ◽  
Mykhailo Halushchak ◽  
Olha Halushchak

The most important aspects of effective citizen-government interaction, successful development of civil society institutions, community and state depend on forming, legal consolidation and practical use of an effective forms and mechanisms of participatory democracy in Ukraine. Effective practical use of participatory democracy depends on the legal framework, the government's willingness to cooperate, as well as the competence and willingness to engage with civil society activists and the proper development of civil society institutions that contribute to democratization and development of Ukrainian society. The levels of citizen-government interaction including an informational, informational-consultative, mutual participation have been expanded by singling out the constant dialogue and mutual participation, public control and e-democracy. The citizens’ appeals, electronic petitions, public hearings, meetings of citizens at the place of residence, local initiatives, local referendum, advisory bodies, self-organization bodies, public discussions and public expertise as the forms of participatory democracy have been described in the article. The differences between the forms of participatory democracy in terms of the order of their preparation, implementation and legal consequences have been indicated. The role of public participation in the budget process has been determined and the participation budget was singled out as a tool of the community for better understanding of local budget and forming their own projects. The advantages of practical use of participatory democracy for the public and the government have been clarified, in particular, strengthening the level of mutual dialogue, increasing its efficiency and the government's response to public problems; growing citizens' trust in the government; improving the image of government through the implementation of transparency, openness and involvement; and consideration of public recommendations by the subjects of power within the framework of certain procedures.


2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-46
Author(s):  
Anders La Cour

Is the Lack of Technology a Problem for Voluntary Organizations? This article attempts to contribute to the discussion of voluntary organizations and the challenges they face in the development of the Danish welfare society by applying insights from systems theory. The article discusses three central dimensions of these challenges. The first is the government’s increasing expectations as regards both the content and quality of voluntary effort, as well as its expectations regarding the nature of organization of voluntary groups. The second dimension is the lack of technology that voluntary organizations have at their disposal. The third dimension is a discussion of the relevan-ce that their programs and technologies have for the future role of voluntary organizations in the modernization of the Danish welfare state. In this regard it asks the question as to whether voluntary organizations suffer from a lack of relevant technologies.


2021 ◽  
pp. 089976402110574
Author(s):  
Ebenezer Obadare ◽  
Kelly Krawczyk

Civil society and philanthropy in Africa are regularly theorized in formal terms and oft perceived as inherently democratizing forces. Yet, existing evidence exposes the limitations of these assumptions. This article provides an introduction to the symposium issue on civil society and philanthropy in Africa. The objective of the introduction, and the articles contained in the symposium, is to examine important questions related to civil society and philanthropy on the continent: What is the complex history and role of civil society and philanthropy in Africa? How have donor dependence and professionalization affected the effectiveness of the third sector? What are the contours of the relationship between the state and civil society? We ask these crucial questions in an attempt to provide a more nuanced and contextualized understanding of civil society and philanthropy on the continent.


Author(s):  
Meera Bhat ◽  
Swapnil Barai

This chapter on “Socioeconomic Development in India: Lessons from the Third Sector” is a broad overview of India’s economic growth and human development since independence in 1947. It traces the evolving role of government, market, and civil society in navigating the global political economy and the creative tension in which they have coexisted. The chapter dives deeply into the civil society sector which once inspired the founding of Ashoka and is now referred to as a hotbed of social enterprises. The sector which once had firm foundations in pluralist social movements and a focus on social innovation now struggles to distinguish social business from social entrepreneurship. The current ecosystem, while extensive, lacks focus, disregards questions of power, and lacks accountability mechanisms. The goals of improving lives and affecting social change would be better served by focusing on social innovation, treating people as stakeholders rather than clients, and protecting and promoting citizen participation in a democratic economy, society, and polity.


Urban History ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 274-291
Author(s):  
Otto Saumarez Smith

AbstractThis article surveys the Thatcher administration's approach to inner-city policy. It uses recently opened archives to reignite the debate over how far these years marked a radical break with past practices towards market-oriented approaches. The first part explains why inner cities became such a central issue for the Conservative party, running through all areas of domestic policy and taking up a vast amount of legislative time. The second part details some of the transatlantic neo-liberal ideas that blamed inner-city ills on government intervention, which were increasingly influential amongst senior Conservatives. The third section shows how little free market ideology actually succeeded in directing government policy, which more often than not saw an expansion of the role of the state. Antagonism with local authorities is revealed to have been a much more important and influential factor. These themes are expanded in the fourth section, which charts the Action for Cities policy drive of Thatcher's final term.


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