Wk. 12: Civil Society and Social Capital

Civil Society

The sphere of organized, non-governmental, non-violent associations that exist outside of the state, market, and family.

Civic community

Communities populated with dense civic associations and characterized by high levels of cooperation and civic engagement.

Amoral familism

Social action persistently oriented to the economic interests of the nuclear family.

Social Capital

Networks of mutual trust and reciprocity developed through interpersonal ties.

Uncivil society

A set of associations within civil society that challenge liberal democratic values by promoting exclusivist ideologies, predatory practices, or violence.

Weimar Republic

Germany's government pre-Nazi takeover and WWII. Parties needed to form coalitions to win; ineffective form of government.

Nazi Party (National Socialist German Worker's Party)

Dominant political party in Germany in the 1930s; rose to power due to social and economic fracturing after WWI reparations.

Michael's Iron Law of Oligarchy

The principle stating that large organizations will naturally tend towards centralized elite control, undermining rank-and-file engagement in the organization.

Bridging social capital

Social capital that links individuals across multiple cleavages or categories of difference (ex. playing soccer with Henry from S. Africa).

Bonding social capital

Social capital that exists among individuals within a single, homogenous community (ex. book club with other young white women).

Echo chambers

Environments in which the opinion, political leaning, or belief of users about a topic gets reinforced due to repeated interactions with peers or sources having similar tendencies and attitudes.