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Civil society is composed of the totality of voluntary civic and social organizations and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society as opposed to the force-backed structures of a state (regardless of that state's political system) and commercial institutions. A society is a Population of Humans characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals that share a distinctive Culture and Institutions Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself

Contents

Origin

The term is often traced to Adam Ferguson, who saw the development of a "commercial state" as a way to change the corrupt feudal order and strengthen the liberty of the individual. Adam Ferguson, also known as Ferguson of Raith (20 June 1723 ( O [1] While Ferguson did not draw a line between the state and the society, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, a German philosopher, made this distinction in his Elements of the Philosophy of Right. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel 's Elements of the Philosophy of Right ( Grundlinien der Philosophie des Rechts) was published in 1820, though the [2][3] Broadly speaking, the term was split, like Hegel's followers, to the political left and right. In Politics, right-wing, the political right, and the Right are positions that uphold traditional values and/or authorities On the left, it became the foundation for Karl Marx's bourgeois society;[4] to the right it became a description for all non-state aspects of society, expanding out of the economic rigidity of Marxism into culture, society and politics[5]

Definition

There are myriad definitions of civil society. An economy is the realized social system of production exchange distribution and consumption of goods and services of a country or other area Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic A society is a Population of Humans characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals that share a distinctive Culture and Institutions Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions The London School of Economics Centre for Civil Society working definition is illustrative:

Civil society refers to the arena of uncoerced collective action around shared interests, purposes and values. The London School of Economics and Political Science, more commonly referred to as The London School of Economics or LSE, is a specialist college of the Collective action is the pursuit of a goal or set of goals by more than one person An interest group (also advocacy group, lobby group, pressure group or special interest group) is an organized collection of people who seek A personal and cultural value is a Relative ethic value, an assumption upon which implementation can be extrapolated In theory, its institutional forms are distinct from those of the state, family and market, though in practice, the boundaries between state, civil society, family and market are often complex, blurred and negotiated. A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. Family denotes a group of People affiliated by consanguinity affinity or co-residence Sao Paulo Stock Exchangejpg|thumb| Virtual market arena where buyer and seller are not present and trade via intemediates and electronical information Civil society commonly embraces a diversity of spaces, actors and institutional forms, varying in their degree of formality, autonomy and power. Civil societies are often populated by organizations such as registered charities, development non-governmental organizations, community groups, women's organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, trade unions, self-help groups, social movements, business associations, coalitions and advocacy groups. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming Social movements are a type of group action. They are large informal groupings of Individuals and/or Organizations focused on specific

—[6]

Democracy

The literature on links between civil society and democracy have their root in early liberal writings like those of Alexis de Tocqueville. However they were developed in significant ways by 20th century theorists like Gabriel Almond and Sidney Verba, who identified the role of civil society in a democratic order as vital. Gabriel A Almond ( 12 January 1911 - 25 December 2002) was an American Political scientist best known for his pioneering Sidney Verba (1932-) is an American academic a Librarian and library administrator [7]

They argued that the political element of many civil society organizations facilitates better awareness and a more informed citizenry, who make better voting choices, participate in politics, and hold government more accountable as a result. [8] The statutes of these organizations have often been considered micro-constitutions because they accustom participants to the formalities of democratic decision making.

More recently, Robert D. Putnam has argued that even non-political organizations in civil society are vital for democracy. Robert David Putnam (born 1941 in Port Clinton Ohio) is a political scientist and professor at Harvard University. This is because they build social capital, trust and shared values, which are transferred into the political sphere and help to hold society together, facilitating an understanding of the interconnectedness of society and interests within it. Social capital is a concept in business economics, Organizational behaviour, Political science, Public health, Sociology and natural [9]

Others, however, have questioned how democratic civil society actually is. Some have noted that the civil society actors have now obtained a remarkable amount of political power without anyone directly electing or appointing them. Power is a measure of a person's ability to control the environment around them including the behavior of other people [10] Finally, other scholars have argued that, since the concept of civil society is closely related to democracy and representation, it should in turn be linked with ideas of nationality and nationalism. [11]

Globalization

The term civil society is currently often used by critics and activists as a reference to sources of resistance to and the domain of social life which needs to be protected against globalization. Globalization (or globalisation) in its literal sense is the process of transformation of local or regional phenomena into global ones This is because it is seen as acting beyond boundaries and across different territories. [12] However, as civil society can, under many definitions, include and be funded and directed by those businesses and institutions (especially donors linked to European and Northern states) who support globalization, this is a contested use. Globalization (or globalisation) in its literal sense is the process of transformation of local or regional phenomena into global ones [13]

On the other hand, others see globalization as a social phenomenon bringing classical liberal values, which inevitably lead to a larger role for civil society at the expense of politically derived state institutions. Globalization (or globalisation) in its literal sense is the process of transformation of local or regional phenomena into global ones Classical liberalism (also known as traditional liberalism, Laissez-faire liberalism, Market liberalism or in much of the world


Examples of civil society institutions

  • academia
  • activist groups
  • charities
  • citizens' militia
  • civic groups
  • clubs (sports, social, etc. The definition of charitable organization, and of charity varies according to the country and in some instances the region of the country in which the charitable organization operates The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary Citizens to provide defense emergency law enforcement or Paramilitary service )
  • community foundations
  • community organizations
  • non-profit organizations (NPOs)
  • policy institutions
  • private voluntary organizations (PVOs)
  • professional associations
  • religious organizations
  • support groups
  • trade unions
  • women's groups

Whether all of these institutions are by definition part of civil society is up for debate. Community foundations (CFs are instruments of Civil society designed to pool donations into a coordinated investment and grant making facility dedicated primarily to the social Environmentalism is a broad philosophy and Social movement centered on a concern for the conservation and improvement of the environment. A foundation is a legal categorization of Nonprofit organizations. A non-profit organization ( abbreviated "NPO" also "not-for-profit" is a legally constituted Organization whose objective is to support or engage A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming One side of this debate posits that only institutions that are critical of the state are actually part of civil society, while the rest are merely not governmental. The key here is that not every institution is a 'countervailing power' to the state. In developing countries, civil society is very popular with aid donors with left and right leanings. Developing countries are countries that haven't reached Western-style standards of democratic government free market economy industrialization social programs and human rights guaranties But very often mock civil society organisations exist (including those that support and which are critical of neo-liberalism) that serve only to gain access to development aid or to provide the illusion of popular support for Northern political projects. Development aid or development cooperation (also development assistance, technical assistance, international aid, overseas aid .

See also

Notes

  1. ^ An Essay on the History of Civil Society, 1767
  2. ^ [http://www.marxists.org/ , civil society (Hegel used the term "buergerliche Gesellschaft" though it is now referred to as Zivilgesellschaft in German to emphasize a more inclusive community) was a stage on the dialectical relationship between Hegel's perceived opposites, the macro-community of the state and the micro-community of the family. Civics is the study of citizenship and government with particular attention given to the role of citizens― as opposed to external factors― in the operation and oversight of government Civil Affairs ( CA) is a term used by both the United Nations and by military institutions (such as the US military but for different purposes in each case thumb| |Broken Liberty Istanbul Archaeology Museum Civil liberties are freedoms that protect the Individual from the Government. Anarchism is a Political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which support the elimination of all compulsory Government, i The intended meaning of the term civil religion often varies according to whether one is a sociologist of religion or a professional political commentator Communitarianism, as a group of related but distinct philosophies began in the late 20th century opposing in its opinion exalted forms of Individualism while advocating phenomena Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system History On 9 March 1814 Congress authorized the construction of a steam warship to be designed by Robert Fulton a pioneer of commercial steamers in North America The Foucault/Habermas debate is a dispute concerning whether Michel Foucault 's ideas of "power analytics" and "genealogy" or Jürgen Habermas 's Global governance is the political interaction of transnational actors aimed at solving problems that affect more than one state or region when there is no power of enforcing compliance Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled Mass society is a description associated with Society in the modern industrial era Non-State Actors, in International relations, are actors on the international level which are not states The open society is a concept originally developed by philosopher Henri Bergson. Political science is a branch of Social sciences that deals with the theory and practice of Politics and the description and analysis of Political systems Social capital is a concept in business economics, Organizational behaviour, Political science, Public health, Sociology and natural Social economy refers to a third sector in economies between the private sector and business or the public sector and government Social entrepreneurship is the work of a social entrepreneur. Social innovation refers to new Strategies, Concepts, Ideas and Organizations that meet Social needs of all kinds - from working Sociology (from Latin: socius "companion" and the suffix -ology "the study of" from Greek λόγος lógos "knowledge" Power is a measure of a person's ability to control the environment around them including the behavior of other people The voluntary sector (also non-profit sector) is the sphere of social activity undertaken by Organizations that are non-profit and non-governmental The most up-to-date and comprehensive reference to international organizations published (under current title since 1950 by the Union of International Associations (UIA Daniel Bell (born 10 May 1919 in New York) is a sociologist and a professor emeritus at Harvard University. Robert Neelly Bellah, born February 23, 1927, in Altus Oklahoma, United States, is an American sociologist, now the Elliott Professor Jean Bethke Elshtain (born 1941 is an American political philosopher. Amitai Etzioni (b Werner Falk, 4 January 1929, Cologne, Germany) is a German - Israeli - American Yoshihiro Francis Fukuyama (born 27 October 1952) is an American Philosopher, political economist, and author Antonio Gramsci ('ɡramʃi ( January 23, 1891 &ndash April 27, 1937) was an Italian Philosopher, Writer, Jürgen Habermas (ˈjʏʁgən ˈhaːbɐmaːs born June 18, 1929 is a German Philosopher and Sociologist in the tradition of Peter Dobkin Hall (born 1946 teaches at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Barry Karl was the William Henry Bloomberg Professor of philanthropy and volunteerism at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University during the 1997-98 academic John Keane (born 1949 in Australia) was educated at the Universities of Adelaide, Toronto and Cambridge, is Professor of Politics at the Dr David C Korten is an author and a leader in the global resistance against corporate Globalization. Frank Moulaert is Professor of Spatial Planning at the Department of Architecture Urban Design and O'Neill received a doctorate in education from Harvard University in 1967. Elinor Ostrom (born 1933 is the Arthur F Bentley Professor of Political Science and Co-Director of the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis at Indiana University Robert David Putnam (born 1941 in Port Clinton Ohio) is a political scientist and professor at Harvard University. Michael Sandel ( 1953 - is a political philosopher and a professor at Harvard University. Benjamin R Barber (born August 2, 1939) is an American political theorist perhaps best known for his 1996 bestseller Jihad vs Ernest André Gellner ( 9 December 1925 &ndash 5 November 1995) was a Philosopher and social anthropologist, cited as one The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. In classical Philosophy, dialectic (διαλεκτική is controversy the exchange of arguments and counter-arguments respectively advocating Propositions A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. Family denotes a group of People affiliated by consanguinity affinity or co-residence
  3. ^ Pelczynski, A. Z. ; 1984; 'The Significane of Hegel's speration of the state and civil society' pp1-13 in Pelczynski, A. Z. (ed. ); 1984; The State and Civil Society; Cambridge University Press
  4. ^ Ibid.
  5. ^ ibid
  6. ^ What is civil society?. Ibid ( Latin, short for ibidem, "the same place" is the term used to provide an Endnote or Footnote Citation or Centre for Civil Society, London School of Economics (2004-03-01). "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Retrieved on 2006-10-30. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge.
  7. ^ Almond, G. , & Verba, S. ; 'The Civic Culture: Political Attitudes And Democracy In Five Nations; 1989; Sage
  8. ^ 'ibid'
  9. ^ Putnam, R. ; Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions In Modern Italy; 1993; Princeton
  10. ^ Agnew, John; 2002; 'Democracy and Human Rights' in Johnston, R. J. , Taylor, Peter J. and Watts, Michael J. (eds); 2002; Geographies of Global Change; Blackwell
  11. ^ Pollock, Graham. 'Civil Society Theory and Euro-Nationalism' , Studies In Social & Political Thought, Issue 4, March 2001, pp. 31-56
  12. ^ Mann, Michael; 1984; The Autonomous Power of The State: Its Origins, Mechanisms and Results; European Journal of Sociology 25: pp185-213
  13. ^ United Nations: Partners in Civil Society

References

External links

Dictionary

civil society

-noun

  1. All of the institutions, voluntary organizations and corporate bodies that are less than the state but greater than the family
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