Civil Society in Developing Countries – Conceptual Considerations

Abstract

In this article, civil society is defined as a non-normative, analytical-logic realm which constitutes a societal sphere distinct from the surrounding realms of family, economy and the state. Civil society, according to the concept presented here, is reality (not utopia), political, not democratic per se, not bound to democracy and not civilised per se. In the ideal situation, rare in developing countries, the surrounding realms (state, family, economy) as well as civil society are strong. In such circumstances, a zero-sum game is not played out between civil society and surrounding realms, but there is a balance, even mutual support. In developing countries, this is mostly not the case. Instead, in these countries, the particular deficits of the outside, surrounding realms influence the non-autonomous civil society. Moreover, in developing countries, civil society is fractured by ‘non-emancipating' (non-democratic, non-economic, non-civilised) channels, defining socio-political processes which, starting from deficient surrounding realms, run through civil society and are ‘stronger' than the corresponding ‘non-emancipating' opposing channel. The respective combination of these and opposing channels serves as a basis for a typology of civil societies on which development policy can be built.