The changing ‘rules of engagement’: cross-cultural and cross-national perspectives

1. The changing ‘rules of engagement’: cross-cultural and cross-national perspectives Dr Beatriz Cardona UWS Engagement University of Western Sydney

2. civil society and civic engagement Civil society and civic engagement translate differently in different settings (contesting the tendency to make them universally applicable). Roots of difference: historical as well as distinct theoretical concepts and philosophical roots: • Alexander Tocqueville (1805-1859) stressed the role of these independent associations as civil society He saw them as schools of democracy . They should be built voluntarily at all levels of society -promoting civic virtues • Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937) Marxist theoretical angle: he stressed the potential oppositional role of civil society, separate from state and market in which ideological hegemony is contested. • Jurgen Habermas (1929) as a way for marginalized groups to articulate their interests. • Emerging concepts such as ‘self-expression’ and ‘actualization’ new encounters with politics through IT channels

3. Civil society in practice: cross-national differences US and Western Europe: rich debate in the 1990s linking social capital to democratic participation and positive health and social outcomes - Putnam has also highlighted the decline in social capital. SUPPORTING Latin America: the concept of civil society gained importance mainly in the fight against military dictatorship in the 60s – a Gramscian understanding – civil society as an agent for political resistance and social justice – CONTESTING Africa: great diversity and strong emphasis on post-colonial search for national identity and reconciliation NATIONAL IDENTITY PROJECTS Various forms of control and regulation of civil society in different countries (ie. NGO Act 2002 in Tanzania; jail sentences for Syrian human rights NGOs; linking funding to service delivery at the expense of advocacy in Australia; new anti-terrorist laws in the US)

4. The relationship between the state and civil society Community participation, membership and objectives are shaped by local forces – different public spaces for participation: Australia and US: ‘Neoliberalism and the Third Sector in Australia’ – Gramberg & Bassett (2005) argue that community engagement has been constructed in such a way to reinforce neoliberal agendas that emphasize greater individual agency and community’s responsibility for local social and economic problems. - Success requires a pro-active civil society - Mexico, Colombia, Brazil: community organisations articulating alternative visions, struggles for reform, more confrontational. Emerging forms of participation in civil society:

5. What does it mean to be civically engaged today? And what does it mean to be a citizen? • The transformation of how we engage and act in society challenges how we perceive the concepts of civic engagement and citizenship, their content and expression. The introduction of new information technologies, most notably in the form of internet, has in turn reinvigorated these discussions. we need to explore the impact netizens are having on extending democratic processes today. • Stephen Coleman lists some democratising characteristics of the blogosphere including : bridge between the private, subjective sphere of self-expression and the socially fragile civic sphere in which publics can form and act –access to debate for traditionally unheard or marginalised voices. (Coleman 2005a: 277)

6. Obligation to participate in government centred activities Voting as the core democratic act Informed about issues and engaged with mass media Joins civil society organisations Diminished sense of government obligation –higher sense of individual purpose Voting is less meaningful Greater emphasis on transnational and consumerism activism Favours loose networks of community action –reliance on information technologies (Bennet 2004) Traditional versus emerging views of citizenship

7. On one hand there is the view that younger generations are disconnecting from conventional politics and government At the same time there are signs of youth civic engagement in non-government areas –volunteer work, consumer activism and strong involvement in social causes. Some even see civic engagement in online social networking and entertainment communities (blogging) Youth engagement: Competing views of young people and civic life

8. Universities at the cross-roads“It is no longer clear what the place of the University is within society nor what the exact nature of that society is, and the changing institutional form of the University is something that intellectuals cannot afford to ignore” (Readings 1996:2) Challenges and opportunities: New models of engagement that take into account: • The complexity, diversity and constraints facing civil society organisations • Design of models informed by local context rather than global agendas and visions • Learn more about citizenship and communication preferences and how to engage with them • Design better civic education programs that takes into account how generational social identities and political preferences are changing so we can design more engaging civic education models • Rethink the relationship between the University and society – serve and strengthen society? – challenge and advocate? – support collective values? – foster critical thinking?- micro and macro issues?

9. Taking the theory/praxis nexus on engagement seriously Sudanese Youth Conference UWS International Film Festival