The Challenge of Civil Society to Authoritarian Regimes

1. The Challenge of Civil Society to Authoritarian Regimes • Nicola Pratt • Pol1010 • 8 Dec 2000

2. Introduction • Civil Society = • voluntary groups of citizens • independent of the state • coming together for various reasons • except to make money.

3. Introduction (cont’d) • Examples = • clubs, societies, pressure groups, community associations, social movements, trade unions.

4. Introduction (cont’d) • Challenging authoritarian regimes • Contributing to democratization • Becoming an international actor

5. Introduction (cont’d) • Some problems in the use of the concept • Some obstacles in the path of civil society

6. Presentation Structure • History of the concept • Current uses of the concept

7. History of the Concept • Aristotle • Locke • Marx • Hegel • De Tocqueville • Gramsci

8. History of the Concept (cont’d) • Aristotle • Politike koinonia (=societas civilis) • Locke • Civ. soc. as natural rights against gov. • Hegel • Civ. soc. as free, ethical, carrier of material civilization

9. History of the Concept (cont’d) • Marx • Civ. soc as bourgeois society • De Tocqueville • Civ. soc. vs. the state (*****) • Gramsci • Civ. soc. as the “trenches of warfare” against capitalism” (***)

10. Current Uses of the Term • Challenging authoritarian regimes • Counterbalance to state power • An independent sphere of free expression and free association • A place from which to develop a new (or counter-hegemonic) political project

11. Current Uses of the Term (cont’d) • Contributing to democratization • Civ. soc. As a sphere of civility (normative) • Civ. soc. As a sphere of pluralism & participation (institutional) • Civ. soc. As a check on state power (transparency and accountability)

12. Current Uses of the Term (Cont’d) • Becoming an international actor • Non-governmental organisations working with the UN (environment, women, human rights) • Transnational advocacy networks • Seattle and after

13. Current Uses of the Term (Cont’d) • Problems in using the term • Fuzzy • Tautological • Rooted in West’s historical development

14. Current Uses of the Term (Cont’d) • Obstacles in the path of civil society • State restrictions on freedom of expression & association • Social and economic inequalities (within and between countries) • Political culture/ideological beliefs • Backlash

15. Conclusion • Concept is problematic • But, necessary • Civil society puts ordinary people into politics • Nature of civil society changes over time and between countries