Civil society

Diverse civil society

Civil society is not the one. It is extremely heterogeneous; it even comprises of actors acting against each other. Heterogeneity is its genuine characteristic based on its character as such and relation to concrete rather than general needs of those involved, and the structure within which it functions in the meaning of differing relations between state and people living on a given territory. These all form specific local notion of civil society. At least two approaches can be derived from this.

• Civil society partnering with the state

  When the local governments of cities Zvolen, Banská Bystrica (Slovakia) and Oslo (Norway) cooperate with citizens and local initiatives on implementing the community development into the plan of social services development that leads to opening Community centers in their neighbourhoods.

  In civil society, people consider themselves as an equivalent partner to the state administration and use civil society to speak out their own interests. It can be like in the USA where civil society acts as a counterweight of the administration to assure it does not go “too far”. Or it can be like in Scandinavia, where welfare states and civil society closely cooperate together.

• Civil society substituting the state

  Other approach is typical for societies where the state has little to offer in terms of social security systems, services, or protection – whether due to lack of resources, interest or armed conflicts – people rely on their own safety nets and means to promote their well-being. Thus, family networks, communal structures, or patron-client connections are often fundamental building blocks of society.

  The informal initiative works towards cleaner cities, cleaning the dumps and significantly contributing to improving the public areas.

In United States there is a tradition of regarding civil society as a counterweight to the state, ensuring that the state does not expand its claim or sphere of command too far. This perception contrasts significantly with the experience and discourse of the Northern European countries, for example Sweden, where a strong welfare state co-exists with a broad-based and vital civil society. On the other hand, in Latin America, civil movements have been active drivers in changes from highly authoritarian and repressive states to more democratic regimes.

The state is, however, not separated from civil society. In fact it is complete opposite. Civil society itself and its constituents - we as citizens, are co-formed by the form of interaction with the state, and the ‘rules’ of this interaction. What are these interactions and how can be the demands of civil society expressed in order to be effectively addressed?

Questions to reflect on

• What is beneficial on an active civil society in state? What role of the civil society do you consider as not substitutable?