BPSC-133 Unit- 11 State- civil society relations, Notes available for IGNOU.

BPSC-133 COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS OVERVIEW

BPSC-133 UNIT – 11 STATE- CIVIL SOCIETY RELATIONS (NOTES)

TOPICS :-

1. Introduction
2. Civil society
3. Civil society and state
4. Civil society and it’s critiques
5. Civil society and state in different contexts

11.2 CIVIL SOCIETY :-

It is used as noun (part of society), as an adjective (kind of society) and as a rena for societal deliberations, The voluntary and other intermediary organizations standing between individual and the state is termed as civil society. It is a public sphere where citizens argues with one another about great questions of the day and negotiate a constantly evolving sense of common or public interest.

11.3 CIVIL SOCIETY ANS STATE :-

Evolutionary perspective :- In early times, only the state represented the political authority but with the changing times and emergence of the church as a new political authority, conflict began to rise between the two and then, the idea of civil society evolved.

1. Early modern period :- Only the change in perception- not so important.
2. Rise of political economy and the Enligthenment concept of civil society :– In the end of 18^th century, civil society emerge as a network of interaction and exchange formed by individuals exercising the right to purpose the satisfaction of particular needs in their own way. It shape itself from hust material desire for exchange to contract which requires trust and justice.
3. Civil society as a part of society and life breath of the state :– In 1835, it was said that civil society should play role to safeguard against tyranny of state and foe the defence of the freedom of individuals. It must find means to limit state power and hold it accountable.
4. Civil society as public sphere :– In recent times, it emerge as public sphere where individuals and groups come together to identify society problems. Public debate take place with the help of social media, acadmeic writing and government policy documents.  

11.4 CIVIL SOCIETY AND ITS CRITIQUES :-

In 19^th century, two critiques approved.

1. The German philosopher legal draw a theoretical distinction between the state and civil society. For him, civil society is a specific arena of economic activity, based on property exchange. It also argued that it is based on principle of ‘universal egoism’. Therefore, state should represent the whole interest of society and constantly supervise and control the civil societies.
2. German scholar karl marx claim that the basic contradiction in modern society is between ‘man as citizen’ and ‘man as private individual’. He said that state cannot stand above civil society to protect universal interests against the private interests articulated in civil society. He denied the existence of it as  an independent sphere but saw its origin in class relations and in political economic.

11.5 CIVIL SOCIETY AND STATE IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS :-

1. Western Europe : From exclusiveness to inclusion :-  In early 18^th and 19^th century, civil society was determined by economic and academic elites that demanded civil and human rights and political participation. In late 19^th and early 20^th , it widened its area of activity and potential, for instance, the social movements of the working class, farmers or churches and also in political and societal claims. In 1960s, it also included women’s liberation, student, peace and ecology movements.

2. The US and Western Europe :- Social capital debate : In 1990s , Robert Putnam, regarded social capital, social networks, a rich associational life as the core element of civil society and said that it affect the health of democracy.

3. Eastern Europe :- Challenges of a three fold transition : The three fold include – the political transformation from dictaroship to democracy, economic transformation from state to market economy, and state transformation due to disintegration of USSR. Civil society play different role in different phases. Its success depends on its strengths and capacity to fulfill the right functions at right time, incorporation of democratic procedures,extent of bridging societal divides as well as civility of its actions.

4. Past-colonial context