[POL SCI 11] Civil Society and Citizenship

Citizen participation beyond voting

Modern emphasis of democracy

Democratic mechanisms must protect local interests under globalization

Need for democratic measures in globalization

Democratization is an ongoing transformative process, not an end state

Democratization

local contexts influence outcomes

Democratization can differ from Western models because…

seen as an ongoing process

Civil society’s role grows as democracy is…

Acts as a watchdog over government power

Promotes transparency and accountability

Protects citizens from abuse of power and corruption

Role of civil society as a Protector

Delivers services the state cannot fully provide or in places where the state have limited reach

Role of civil society as a Service Provider

Challenges unequal social power structures

Promotes inclusivity and social justice

Advocates for marginalized groups

Role of civil society as a Reformer

the sum of NGOs and POs

Common definition of civil society

NGOs // POs

_____ ; work on behalf of others // ____; to protect their own shared interests

NO, Civil society also includes:

Spontaneous social movements

Traditional community groups

Unorganized but politically active citizens

Is civil society only limited to NGOs and POs?

outside; engages

Civil society operates ____ but ____ with the state.

law and necessity; freedom

State is tied to ___ and ____; civil society to ____.

independent

Civil society must remain _____ to serve as a check on state power

public good; profit

Civil society is private action for ____ ____; the market is private action for ____.

Market failures harm the poor, expanding civil society’s role

Market impact on civil society

Civil society as mediator

Acts between state and market to protect the public good

They use coercion and act as counter-state forces

Insurgents are excluded from civil society because…

Despite violence, their function overlaps with civil society

Insurgents within civil society

They aim to seize or maintain state power

Political parties are excluded from civil society because…

Treating parties as program-based organizations would make them similar to NGOs

Reason to reconsider Political parties’ exclusion

Exists between household and state

Civil society as social space

Includes institutions beyond family, government, and production

Civil society’s institutional scope

The boundary is unclear and shifts across contexts.

Household–civil society boundary

Exclusive view of civil society

Defines civil society as self-conscious, transformative actors contesting state power

Inclusive view of civil society

Includes all individuals and groups except the state, covering diverse and conflicting interests

Post-Modern View

Civil society as the broader social sphere of everyday life and interactions

Public sphere where autonomous groups and individuals engage on collective concerns.

Operational Definition of Civil Society

Identification with the nation through legal rights and duties

Traditional citizenship view

Emphasizes rights, responsibilities, and redefining community

Broader citizenship view

Law-abiding, justice-oriented, active in community welfare

Good citizen definition

through shared values, deliberation, and community-based decision-making

How does effective citizenship strengthen democracy?

Individualism and lack of concern for others

What undermines the ideals of citizenship and democracy?

Institutional Factors of Citizenship

Family

School

Church

Media

Government

NGOs and POs

Societal-Level Factors

Fragmented identities

Access to government services

Poverty and inequality

Language barriers

Hierarchical social structure

Exclusionary identity rules cause intolerance toward outsiders

Identity construction issue

Enhances democracy for all, not just elites

True citizenship

Improve political and social environments and reduce poverty to enable active citizenship

Purpose of structural reforms