Civil Society Elites

Author : Astrid Norén-Nilsson,Amalinda Savirani,Anders Uhlin
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 45,7 Mb
Release : 2023
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 8776947335

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Civil Society Elites by Astrid Norén-Nilsson,Amalinda Savirani,Anders Uhlin Pdf

This innovative volume is the first systematic study of civil society elites in Southeast Asia (and indeed anywhere in the world). Spanning two previously separate areas of research ? civil society and elites ? it sheds new light on power inequalities within and beyond civil society, identifies different types of elite formation and elite interaction within and beyond civil society, and traces interactions and integration with elite groups from party politics, the state, and the business sector. This tightly edited volume, produced by a research team ranging from senior scholars to promising younger academics, analyses how such processes are influenced by reliance on foreign funding and explores how they play out in two settings ? where the political space for civil society is generally shrinking (Cambodia) and where it is relatively expanding (Indonesia). However, the volume offers more than a rethinking of civil society in Cambodia and Indonesia; it looks beyond. It thus challenges a view of civil society entities as relatively isolated from the state and from political and economic society, revealing power relations that link them. Suggesting a new direction for civil society research, the book will be of great interest to the many researchers working on civil society, elites and contemporary Southeast Asian politics as well as those engaged in other areas of society in Cambodia and Indonesia. Policymakers, donors and not least civil society activists themselves will find the volume highly relevant to their work.

Author : Håkan Johansson,Anna Meeuwisse
Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2024-01-11
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 3031401492

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Civil Society Elites by Håkan Johansson,Anna Meeuwisse Pdf

This open access book introduces a groundbreaking concept - civil society elites - and serves as an essential resource for scholars, researchers and students interested in the complexities of power and influence within contemporary civil societies. Through a series of unique empirical studies, the authors offer a comprehensive examination of the individuals occupying the upper echelons of influential civil society organisations and movements. By delving into the factors that propel individuals into key positions and examining the connections between civil society leaders within and across sectors, the book offers insight into the mechanisms that shape access to powerful positions in civil societies. As a reflection of current debates on elites and populism, the book furthermore explores the expression and conceptualisation of counter-elite positions and criticism of civil society elites. With its original approach, the book serves as a catalyst for further research into inequalities, power structures and elites within civil societies.

Author : Vian Bakir
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2018-04-17
Category : History
ISBN : 9781351388955

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Intelligence Elites and Public Accountability by Vian Bakir Pdf

This book provides a definitive overview of the relationships of influence between civil society and intelligence elites. The secrecy surrounding intelligence means that publication of intelligence is highly restricted, barring occasional whistle-blowing and sanitised official leaks. These characteristics mean that intelligence, if publicised, can be highly manipulated by intelligence elites, while civil society’s ability to assess and verify claims is compromised by absence of independent evidence. There are few studies on the relationship between civil society and intelligence elites, which makes it hard to form robust assessments or practical recommendations regarding public oversight of intelligence elites. Addressing that lacuna, this book analyses two case studies of global political significance. The intelligence practices they focus on (contemporary mass surveillance and Bush-era torture-intelligence policies) have been presented as vital in fighting the ‘Global War on Terror’, enmeshing governments of scores of nation-states, while challenging internationally established human rights to privacy and to freedom from torture and enforced disappearance. The book aims to synthesise what is known on relationships of influence between civil society and intelligence elites. It moves away from disciplinary silos, to make original recommendations for how a variety of academic disciplines most likely to study the relationship between civil society and intelligence elites (international relations, history, journalism and media) could productively cross-fertilise. Finally, it aims to create a practical benchmark to enable civil society to better hold intelligence elites publicly accountable. This book will be of great interest to students of intelligence studies, surveillance, media, journalism, civil society, democracy and IR in general.

Author : Trygve Gulbrandsen
Publisher : Springer
Page : 207 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2018-09-06
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9783319959849

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Elites in an Egalitarian Society by Trygve Gulbrandsen Pdf

Based on two unique survey studies of elites in Norway, this book examines whether elite attitudes towards central national issues have changed in the wake of international and national events and developments since 2000. The chapters examine elite integration and relations between elites and citizens in Norway as a means to discuss the continued viability of the Nordic welfare state model. This insight into how elites relate to central issues in Norwegian society and how they look upon citizens’ political interest and competence in general, will be of interest to academics within sociology and political science, as well as journalists and commentators and policy makers.

Author : William Genieys
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 224 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2017-07-28
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781351478717

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The New Custodians of the State by William Genieys Pdf

The New Custodians of the State uses contemporary France to reassess sociological theories of political and policymaking elites. Based on detailed case studies drawn from social policy and national defense sectors, it concludes that a new type of sectorally-based elite has risen to prominence in France since the 1980s. Genieys suggests that programmatic elites found in specific policy sectors, made up of individuals linked both by common career paths and the resulting skills and expertise, should be seen as new guardians of state power.Like their technocratic predecessors, programmatic elites maintain a high degree of independence with respect to electoral politics and to civil society; like them, they share an ideological commitment to protect and expand the role of the state in French society. Unlike them, however, these new guardians of the state are structured around specific policy programs and limited in scope to a given sector. Competition among programmatic elites at the highest levels of the state emerges as the chief driving force behind innovation for social change.The New Custodians of the State introduces programmatic elites both as real-world actors and as an analytic category and highlights the limits of elite power by analyzing the defeat of efforts by the French Ministry of Defense. This book presents a thought-provoking critical case study that suggests that models presenting either a single unified state elite or those that herald or decry the demise of the state require modification. The work will be of interest to students and scholars of France, and its society and government as well as anyone interested in the policymaking process in other countries with respect to domestic policy or national defense.

Author : Graeme Gill
Publisher : Palgrave
Page : 287 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2000-04-13
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 0333801962

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Dynamics of Democratization by Graeme Gill Pdf

The author assesses the main theories developed to account for and explain why and how authoritarian regimes give way to democratic ones. The book takes issue with the predominantly élite-centred focus of much of the literature, and illustrates how an understanding of democratization can be gained only if the role of civil society is taken into account.

Author : Graeme Gill
Publisher : Palgrave
Page : 287 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2000-04-13
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 0333801970

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Dynamics of Democratization by Graeme Gill Pdf

The author assesses the main theories developed to account for and explain why and how authoritarian regimes give way to democratic ones. The book takes issue with the predominantly élite-centred focus of much of the literature, and illustrates how an understanding of democratization can be gained only if the role of civil society is taken into account.

Author : Graeme Gill
Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan
Page : 296 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 2000-07-07
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 0312231725

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The Dynamics of Democratization by Graeme Gill Pdf

One of the most significant developments in the last three decades of the 20th century was the fall of many authoritarian regimes and their replacement by governments claiming democratic credentials. Although the most spectacular instance of this was the collapse of communism, epitomized by the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, it had occurred in a much wider range of countries--from Spain and Greece to Uruguay and South Korea. An important part in this has been played by political elites, which have sought to manage the process of regime change with a view to restabilizing their positions and limiting the disruption. However, the author argues that real democratization has been achieved only in these cases where the management of the transition process has not been left wholly in the hands of the elites but rather, has been supervised by elements from the broader civil society. The Dynamics of Democratization provides a clear and accessible overview of the scale, scope, and character of democratization in the contemporary world. The book offers important new theoretical insights into, as well as providing a wide range of detailed case studies of, transition from Latin America, Southern Europe, and the former communist world.

Author : John Garrard
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
Page : 333 pages
File Size : 51,7 Mb
Release : 2017-05-01
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781403919380

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Democratisation in Britain by John Garrard Pdf

Democratisation in Britain is a novel reinterpretation of British social and political history since 1800 in light of the continuing debate about democratisation. As such, the book goes far beyond standard histories of political reform. In common with the politics in Northern Europe, North America and Australasia, Britain's democratisation began early and in highly favourable circumstances. The process took place in stages, only half-consciously and in the context of a generally benign economic cycle. The country possessed a vibrant civil society at most levels of its adult population, along with a flexible, competitive and opportunistic set of political elites. Partly as a result, the popular expectations and demands released by democratisation were modest and untroublesome. Countries undergoing democratisation since 1918 have been far less fortunate, and the process in thereby much more difficult. Thus this book may be seen as portraying an 'ideal type' against which to compare and contrast these later experiences. Democratisation in Britain combines the disciplines of political science and history, and will be of interest to scholars and students in both fields.

Author : John Crabtree,Francisco Durand
Publisher : Zed Books Ltd.
Page : 164 pages
File Size : 48,9 Mb
Release : 2017-05-15
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781783609062

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Peru by John Crabtree,Francisco Durand Pdf

While leftist governments have been elected across Latin America, this ‘Pink Tide’ has so far failed to reach Peru. Instead, the corporate elite remains firmly entrenched, and the left continues to be marginalised. Peru therefore represents a particularly stark example of ‘state capture’, in which an extreme concentration of wealth in the hands of a few corporations and pro-market technocrats has resulted in a monopoly on political power. Post the 2016 elections, John Crabtree and Francisco Durand look at the ways in which these elites have been able to consolidate their position at the expense of genuine democracy, with a particular focus on the role of mining and other extractive industries, where extensive privatization and deregulation has contributed to extreme disparities in wealth and power. In the process, Crabtree and Durand provide a unique case study of state development, by revealing the mechanisms used by elites to dominate political discussion and marginalize their opponents, as well as the role played by external actors such as international financial institutions and foreign investors. The significance of Crabtree’s findings therefore extends far beyond Peru, and illuminates the wider issue of why mineral-rich countries so often struggle to attain meaningful democracy.

Author : Philip D. Oxhorn
Publisher : Penn State Press
Page : 396 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 2010-11-01
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780271043425

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Organizing Civil Society by Philip D. Oxhorn Pdf

Author : Kenneth Good
Publisher : Lexington Books
Page : 285 pages
File Size : 47,5 Mb
Release : 2014-10-15
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781498502443

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Trust in the Capacities of the People, Distrust in Elites by Kenneth Good Pdf

Democratization is a sociopolitical process and the society that may grow out of it where people make decisions on matters affecting them. It is an unending struggle to win such rights and power, to hold and to extend them. The contending classes are essentially the poor and weak majority of the people and the elite of wealth, status, and power. This book begins with the study of politics in democratic Athens 508-322 BCE, and how it revolved around the divisions between an uneducated poor majority of citizens and a small, wealthy elite. All citizens were deemed equally capable of holding political office, and life in democratic Athens was itself an education through the wide political experience a citizen necessarily acquired. The second study is of Britain’s centuries long and profoundly incomplete democratization, polarizing usually the urban poor, unequally against the Grandees, the oligarchy, and subsequent elites. A third exemplifier is South Africa, beginning in the 1970s-80s when two big processes were going on simultaneously: an external armed struggle led by the African National Congress (ANC), and a path-breaking domestic democratization represented by the United Democratic Front and the trade unions. The democratization that emerges here is a matter of aspiration and impulse by determined men and women, which fail more often than they succeed, yet appear again in other times and places. Two main models of democracy are in contention. A representative from revolving around free elections, in which competing elites "get themselves elected" utilizing their wealth and celebrity. The liberal form achieved preeminence in Britain and the United States over some 150 years, but is now under serious threat from its own dysfunctionalities and the alienation of its citizens from its institutions and their elitist, self-serving values. And there is the participatory model, now being approached again since the mid-1970s in many places, from Portugal, Poland and Czechoslovakia, to South Africa, Tunisia, Egypt, and Iceland. Many such impulses will fail, but they offer hope, and on the record, immense satisfaction to their participants.

Author : Don Eberly
Publisher : Encounter Books
Page : 338 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 2008-03-24
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781594032943

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The Rise of Global Civil Society by Don Eberly Pdf

Global news is generally bad news. On the surface, the story is about war, poverty, ethnic and sectarian strife. Democracy movements advanced by the U.S. government seem to be stalled or even reversed. Yet just below the surface, more hopeful trends are brewing. A new global awareness of the people at "the bottom of the pyramid" is summoning forth an unprecedented response to human need and suffering. It involves a shift from vertical to horizontal power that official aid agencies are only beginning to comprehend. Whereas twenty-five years ago, government aid accounted for 70 percent of all American outflows, today 85 percent of all outflows of resources come from private individuals, businesses, religious congregations, universities, and immigrant communities. If aid policy in the twentieth century relied on top-down bureaucracy dominated by policy specialists and elites, the twenty-first century is shaping up as an era in which citizens, social entrepreneurs, and volunteers link up to solve problems. U.S. military and economic power are basic components of America's presence in the world; but in an environment of rampant anti-Americanism, it is compassion that is America's most consequential export. Civil society, once the distinctive characteristic of American democracy, is now advancing across the globe, carrying with it new forms of philanthropy, citizenship, and volunteerism. Tens of thousands of voluntary associations are prying open closed societies from within, solving problems in new ways, and forming the seedbed for a long-term cultivation of democratic norms. Building Nations from the Bottom Up: The Global Rise of Democratic Society presents a sweeping overview of the forces now shaping the global debate, including citizen-led development projects, poverty-reduction strategies that substitute opportunity for charity, and electronically linked movements to combat corruption and autocratic rule.

Author : Alan Shipman,June Edmunds,Bryan Turner
Publisher : Anthem Press
Page : 482 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 2018-04-13
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781783087891

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The New Power Elite by Alan Shipman,June Edmunds,Bryan Turner Pdf

Elites have always ruled – wielding inordinate power and wealth, taking decisions that shape life for the rest. In good times the ‘1%’ can hide their privilege, or use growing social mobility and economic prosperity as a justification. When times get tougher there’s a backlash. So the first years of the twenty-first century – a time of financial crashes, oligarchy and corruption in the West; persistent poverty in the south; and rising inequality everywhere – have brought elites and ‘establishments’ under unprecedented fire. Yet those swept to power by this discontent are themselves a part of the elite, attacking from within and extending rather than ending its agenda. The New Power Elite shows how major political and social change is typically driven by renegade elite fractions, who co-opt or sideline elites’ traditional enemies. It is the first book to combine the politics, economics, sociology and history of elite rule to present a compact, comprehensive account of who’s at the top, and why we let them get there.

Author : Stefan Szücs,Lars Strömberg
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 386 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 2007-08-17
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9783531901107

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Local Elites, Political Capital and Democratic Development by Stefan Szücs,Lars Strömberg Pdf

This book helps to understand in which ways local governing elites are important for the success or failure of national democratic development. Although we know a great deal about the general importance of civil society and social capital for the development of sustainable democracy, we still know little about what specific local governing qualities or political capital that interact with democratic development. The collected data covers time series of surveys from between 15 to 30 political and administrative leaders in over a hundred middle-sized European and Eurasian cities. The study takes us across the 1980s and 1990s, going from cities in Sweden and the Netherlands - through the Baltic cities - to the cities of Belarus and Russia. The findings show the importance of local political capital based on commitments to core democratic values, informal governance networks, and the significance of initially connecting the community to global, non-economic relationships.