The Concept
In broad terms civil society is commonly defined as the area outside family, market and state, encompassing a spectrum of actors and entities with a wide range of purposes, structures, and degree of organisation, membership and geographical coverage. It may include NGOs, online groups, social movements of collective action, religious leaders or faith based organisations, social entrepreneurs etc.
According to World Bank “The term civil society refers to the wide array of non-governmental and not-for-profit organizations that have a presence in public life, expressing the interests and values of their members or others, based on ethical, cultural, political, scientific, religious or philanthropic considerations. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) therefore refer to a wide of array of organizations: community groups, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), labour unions, indigenous groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, and foundations.”
The Emergence
The concept of ‘Civil Society’ is not new but can be traced back to the Ancient Greek Society through the works of Cicero and other Roman Philosophers. They advocated a classical notion which equated Civil Society with the state.
However, in 18th century modern idea of civil society emerged. The Age of Enlightenment and Renaissance in the medieval Europe ushered in a set of circumstances that triggered various ‘modern’ developments. The concept of Civil Society too was born out of the context created by these developments. A host of political theorists (Thomas Paine, Georg Hegel, etc) developed a notion of civil society as ‘a domain parallel to but separate from the state’- a realm where citizens associate according to their own interests and wishes.
In second half of 20th century, Antonio Gramsci portrayed civil society as a special nucleus of independent political activity, a crucial sphere of struggle against tyranny. Such a philosophy influenced the anti-dictator struggles of 1970s and 1980s in Eastern Europe. It also persuaded Czech, Hungarian and Polish Activists to wrap them in the banner of civil society, endowing it with a heroic quality when the Berlin Wall fell.
Finally it was in 1990s that Global Trends towards Democracy opened up space for civil society in the formerly dictatorial nations of the world.
On the other hand in US and Western Europe, public fatigue with tired party systems sparked the interest in civil society as a means of social renewal.
In the developing world, Privatisation and other market reforms offered civil society the chance to step in as government retracted their reach. Also the information revolution provided new tools for forging connections and empowering citizens. Civil Society thus became a key element in the post cold war zeitgeist.