Civil Society and Mirror Images of Weak States

Civil Society and Mirror Images of Weak States
Author: Jasmin Lorch
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 291
Release: 2016-11-09
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1137554622

This book investigates theoretically and empirically whether and (if so) how state weakness influences the way in which national civil societies constitute themselves, using Bangladesh and the Philippines as case studies. A vibrant civil society is usually perceived as an important ingredient of democracy, but does this hold for civil society in weak states as well? What does civil society look like in contexts of state weakness? How much and what kind of political influence does it have in such settings? And are its actors really capable and willing to contribute to democracy in states where independent and legal bureaucratic institutions are weak? Addressing each of these questions, the author points the way to some hard re-thinking about the basis for and approach to development assistance to and via local civil society, with crucial repercussions for the ways in which international development assistance is designed and funded. The chapter 'Analysing Civil Society in Weak States' is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license via link.springer.com.

Authoritarianism and Civil Society in Asia

Authoritarianism and Civil Society in Asia
Author: Anthony J. Spires
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2022-07-08
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1000605493

This book represents a pioneering interdisciplinary effort to analyze Asian civil society under authoritarianism, a regime type that is re-appearing or deepening after several decades of increased political liberalization. By organizing its approach into four main themes, this volume succinctly reveals the challenges facing civil society in authoritarian regimes, including: actions under political repression, transitions to democracy, uncivil society, political capture and legal control. It features in-depth analyses of a variety of Asian nations, from ‘hard’ authoritarian regimes, like China, to ‘electoral’ authoritarian regimes, like Cambodia, whilst also addressing countries experiencing democratic regression, such as the Philippines. By highlighting concrete responses and initiatives taken by civil society under authoritarianism, it advances the intellectual mandate of redefining Asia as a dynamic and interconnected formation and, moreover, as a space for the production of new theoretical insight. Contributing to our understanding of the tensions, dynamics, and potentialities that animate state-society relations in authoritarian regimes, this will be essential reading for students and scholars of civil society, authoritarianism, and Asian politics more generally.

Civil Society Responses to Changing Civic Spaces

Civil Society Responses to Changing Civic Spaces
Author: Kees Biekart
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 300
Release: 2023-05-24
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 3031233050

This open access book contributes to thriving debates in academic as well as professional circles about the role of civil society in shrinking civic spaces, rising authoritarianism and right-wing populism, conflicts, fragile states, and most lately, the global COVID-19 pandemic. This is one of the first books to address the implications of changing civic spaces for civil society organizations worldwide. It offers a unique overview of how social movements and civil society groups in very different settings are responding to state-imposed restrictions of basic civic freedoms. The authors are all experts in the field, and their analyses are based on original and onsite research. This unique book also contributes to a better understanding of the conceptualizations and practices of civil society. It is of keen interest to academic scholars, students, civil society practitioners, and policy makers in the field of international development research and civil society action.

Reimagining Civil Society Collaborations in Development

Reimagining Civil Society Collaborations in Development
Author: Margit van Wessel
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 315
Release: 2023-01-03
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1000843335

At a time when uneven power dynamics are high on development actors’ agenda, this book will be an important contribution to researchers and practitioners working on innovation in development and civil society. While there is much discussion of localization, decolonization and ‘shifting power’ in civil society collaborations in development, the debate thus far centers on the aid system. This book directs attention to CSOs as drivers of development in various contexts that we refer to as the Global South. This book take a transformative stance, reimagining roles, relations and processes. It does so from five complementary angles: (1) Southern CSOs reclaiming the lead, 2) displacement of the North–South dyad, (3) Southern-centred questions, (4) new roles for Northern actors, and (5) new starting points for collaboration. The book relativizes international collaboration, asking INGOs, Northern CSOs, and their donors to follow Southern CSOs’ leads, recognizing their contextually geared perspectives, agendas, resources, capacities, and ways of working. Based in 19 empirically grounded chapters, the book also offers an agenda for further research, design, and experimentation. Emphasizing the need to ‘Start from the South’ this book thus re-imagines and re-centers Civil Society collaborations in development, offering Southern-centred ways of understanding and developing relations, roles, and processes, in theory and practice. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license. Funded by Wageningen University.

Weak Institutions and the Governance Dilemma

Weak Institutions and the Governance Dilemma
Author: Mariella Falkenhain
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2020-04-07
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 3030397424

“Weak Institutions and the Governance Dilemma is especially important and welcome since it offers a very incisive analysis of the role of NGOs in transitional democracies and the effect of institutional setting on NGO effectiveness in representing citizen interests. This book offers a very creative conceptual framework and timely, penetrating case studies which provide valuable insights on NGO strategy, governmental capacity, and the possibilities for social change.”Steven Rathgeb Smith, Executive Director, American Political Science Association, and Georgetown University, USA This book provides a novel analytical perspective on policymaking, policy effects and NGOs in hybrid regimes. It examines the sources and patterns of gaps between formal rules, political practice and longer term effects, and explores how NGOs navigate the tension-laden environments that gaps represent. The book shows how weak institutions and malfunctioning policies turn NGOs into ambivalent actors. Empirically, it covers criminal justice and social protection policies in post-Soviet Georgia and Armenia. The findings from the in-depth case studies are then extended by a discussion of gaps in hybrid regimes as diverse as Malaysia, Kenya and Russia. The book’s approach and findings will appeal to scholars, students and practitioners interested in NGOs, institutional theory and public policy.

Democratic Regressions in Asia

Democratic Regressions in Asia
Author: Aurel Croissant
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2022-12-12
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1000803910

The book studies and compares causes, catalysts and consequences of democratic regression and revival in South, Southeast, and Northeast Asia. The Asia-Pacific presents social scientists with a natural laboratory to test competing theories of democratic erosion, decay, and revival and to identify new patterns and relationships. This volume combines conceptual and comparative research with single case studies. Overall, the collection of studies in this volume captures different forms of democratic regression and autocratization, examine how Asia-Pacific experiences fit into debates about democracy’s deepening global recession and what the Asia-Pacific experiences contribute to the understanding of the causes, catalysts, and consequences of democratic regression and resilience in the comparative politics literature. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Democratization.

Interdisciplinary Reflections on South Asian Transitions

Interdisciplinary Reflections on South Asian Transitions
Author: Bhabani Shankar Nayak
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 218
Release: 2023-09-07
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 3031366867

This book presents an interdisciplinary understanding of the social, and economic drivers of far-right politics in South Asia. In response to the growth of xenophobia, reactionary nationalism, authoritarianism, and aggressive leadership in the region, it examines both the religious and economic conditions that have encouraged far-right populism and the profit-driven capitalist systems it produces. The book also delves into the unique histories of South Asia, along with the region's religious and cultural traditions, to provide context for broader economic and political trends and shed light on the consolidation of wealth and growing inequality. The book thoroughly explores the economic and political transformation of South Asia resulting from far-right populism, making it a valuable resource for students and researchers in the fields of political economy and South Asian studies.

The Politics of Terrorism and Counterterrorism in Bangladesh

The Politics of Terrorism and Counterterrorism in Bangladesh
Author: Saimum Parvez
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 207
Release: 2022-12-30
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1000803740

This book examines contemporary issues and debates of terrorism in Bangladesh, including national and transnational terrorist outfits operating within the country, their narratives and counternarratives, ideologues, women and the youth, media representation, counterterrorism laws, and challenges. Bangladesh is a fascinating and often paradoxical case study for terrorism studies. The book examines major terrorist groups in contemporary Bangladesh and their international connections and narratives, as well as a case study of an influential ideologue who encouraged some Bangladeshis to engage in violence. The chapters discuss how women and youth play a role in Bangladeshi terrorism, how the internet is used for recruiting terrorists, the discourses of the media and state regarding terrorism, as well as the politics of law and counterterrorism initiatives, including critically evaluating non-state actors and government responses. In addition to providing an up-to-date analysis of terrorism and counterterrorism in Bangladesh, this book offers a balanced and unbiased perspective on this subject. It will appeal to academics and international policymakers who are researching violence and extremism in South Asia.

Transition to Peace

Transition to Peace
Author: Ho-Won Jeong
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 277
Release: 2021-10-15
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1538146452

This book enhances our understanding of how societies torn by violence can be rebuilt. Instabilities in those societies continue to be fuelled by political marginalization, economic-social inequality, violent crimes, and injustice. Historically, international response has been largely inadequate due to a failure of adaptation to local circumstances. This collection focuses on how peacebuilding programmes can be more effectively carried out to create a more functional society. In a nutshell, this volume sheds light on local practice and experiences that can be utilized to meet unique circumstances of countries that have suffered from a destructive conflict. The collection will investigate the transition to peace by highlighting the missing links between peacebuilding norms and practice, political economy, emotions, justice, and reconciliation.

Aesthetic Politics

Aesthetic Politics
Author: F. R. Ankersmit
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Total Pages: 444
Release: 1996
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 9780804727303

Taking as its point of departure a sharp critique of Rawls's influential "A Theory of Justice," this book looks at politics from an aesthetic perspective.