C IVIL S OCIETY P LAN FOR T ODAY : 1. Comparing definitions of civil society, pros and cons. 2. Outlining contended roles of civil society in democratization. 3. Debating structure of civil society necessary to promote democracy.

D EFINING C IVIL S OCIETY

1. Civil society as a collective noun: NGOs Political parties? (e.g. Fish def’n.) Religious organizations? State-funded organizations?

D EFINING C IVIL S OCIETY 2. Civil society as a space. John Hall: Civil society a social space for human experimentation with identities. Larry Diamond: “Realm of organized social life…”

L ARRY D IAMOND Different from society in general – citizens acting collectively in public sphere. Intermediary between private life and the state. Publicly oriented rather than private ends.

D EFINING C IVIL S OCIETY 3. Civil society as values or norms. Values that bind people together collectively to promote democratic attachment.

R OBERT P UTNAM Values of trust, tolerance, mutual cooperation. Not necessarily political advocacy organizations. Building “social capital.”

R OLES OF C IVIL S OCIETY IN D EMOCRATIZATION

R OLES OF C IVIL S OCIETY More important after than during transition. Weak civil society doesn’t mean breakdown, but hinders consolidation and deepening of democracy (Howard).

R OLES OF C IVIL S OCIETY (D IRECTLY FOR DEMOCRACY ) 1. Stimulates political participation by citizens. 2. Develops democratic attitudes: tolerance, moderation, compromise. 3. Creates alternative channels for representing interests. 4. Trains new political leaders. 5. Disseminates information to citizens. 6. Strengthens the state.

O THER R OLES OF C IVIL S OCIETY (I NDIRECT ) 1. Improves socioeconomic development. 2. Creates social equity – helping the poorest.

S TRUCTURE OF C IVIL S OCIETY How much can/ should the state be involved in civil society?

P LURALIST VS. C ORPORATIST C IVIL S OCIETY (S CHMITTER ) Pluralist SystemsCorporatist Systems MultipleSingular (Monopoly) CompetitiveNoncompetitive NonhierarchicalHierarchical Less state involvementMore state involvement

T WO TYPES OF CORPORATISM 1. “State corporatism” : state defines and controls organizations in society. 1. Mainly mechanisms for state to control & restrict public participation. 2. State coopts, guides, dominates interest groups.

T WO TYPES OF CORPORATISM 2. “Democratic corporatism”: interests formed from societal level up & aggregated at top level to negotiate with government. e.g. Sweden

P RO -P LURALIST A RGUMENTS (D IAMOND ) 1. Civil society’s fundamental nature is diversity; monopoly contradicts this. 2. Pluralism works to minimize social conflict. 3. Corporatist arrangements especially dangerous for new democracies.

P RO -C ORPORATIST A RGUMENTS (S CHMITTER, B LACK ) 1. Is pluralism even plausible in many countries? 2. Pluralist civil society can descend into factionalism with little civic trust. 3. State can be compromised by pluralist civil society. 1. Infiltration by selfish private interests. 2. Incoherence from acting as a “cash register.”