Global Civil Society Research Papers (original) (raw)

The limits of the planet and of natural resources impede pursuing the modern project based on permanent
growth and represent a major challenge for humanity. Drawing on an agency-centred approach, this paper addresses two two major questions:
‘Who are the social actors who challenge the normative orientation at the core of modernization and promote alternative values and practices that may contribute to the rise of a global age, or may embody glimpses of a global age society?’ and ‘Can we grasp some dimensions of life and society in the global age by studying current social movements? ’

- by
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- Sociology, Social Change, Social Movements, Development Studies

Over the past two decades capitalism and globalization have gradually changed skin. Both have undergone an acceleration that has radically changed their nature and their rules, resulting in a new scenario of the economic geography at the global and the local scale. The crisis started in 2007, first financial and then economic, has inserted in the context of these changes, even producing the emergence of new actors on the international scene and the relative decline of the traditional areas of development. This scenario is the product of a complex web of ideas, actors, networks, technologies and agreements that the volume attempts to analyze in the most significant components.

- by vittorio amato
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- Sociology, Geography, Human Geography, Cultural Geography

This report on Cambodia is one of a set of four country case studies designed to study the implications of closing civic space for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The case study was commissioned in response to the wave of legal, administrative, political and informal means to restrict civic space and the activities of civil society actors in countries around the world in the past decade. Based on a literature review and conceptual framework developed for the study (see also Hossain et al 2018), the report documents changing civic space in Cambodia. The country is characterized by a centralised political system where power is increasingly concentrated in the hands of the dominant ruling class. Development policy has prioritized high-growth goals, with documented violations of land, labour and freedom of speech rights in the process. The case study documents the impacts on specific Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) objectives, including no poverty (SDG 1), zero hunger (SDG 2), decent work (SDG 8), gender and economic equality (SDGs 5 and 10) inclusive communities (SDG 11), life on the land (SDG 15).

- by Sokphea Young
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- Social Movements, Chinese Studies, Human Rights, International Trade

Th is book explores the activism promoted by organised networks of civil society actors in opening up possibilities for more democratic supranational governance. It examines the positive and negative impact that such networks of civil society actors – named “interlocutory coalitions” – may have on the convergence of principles of administrative governance across the European legal system and other supranational legal systems.
Th e book takes two main controversial aspects into account: the first relates to the convergence between administrative rules pertaining to different supranational regulatory systems. Traditionally, the spread of methods of administrative governance
has been depicted primarily against the background of the interactions between the domestic and the supranational arena, both from a top-down and bottom-up perspective. However, the exploration of interactions occurring at the supranational
level between legal regimes is still not grounded on adequate empirical evidence.
The second controversial aspect considered in this book consists of the role of civil society actors operating at the supranational level. In its discussion of the first aspect, the book focuses on the relations between the European administrative law and the
administrative principles of law pertaining to other supranational regulatory regimes and regulators, including the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, the United Nations, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Asian Development Bank, and the Council of
Europe. The examination of the second aspect involves the exploration of the still little examined, but crucial, role of civil society organised networks in shaping global administrative law. These “interlocutory coalitions” include NGOs, think tanks,
foundations, universities, and occasionally activists with no formal connections to civil society organisations. Th e book describes such interlocutory coalitions as drivers of harmonized principles of participatory democracy at the European and global levels.
However, interlocutory coalitions show a number of tensions (e.g. the governability of coalitions, the competition among them) that may hamper the impact they have on the reconfi guration of individuals’ rights, entitlements and responsibilities in the global arena.

- by Gianluca Sgueo
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- International Relations, Public Administration, Public Management, Globalization
- by Geoffrey Pleyers
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- Sociology, Social Movements, International Relations, Globalization

Bob Thomson is the retired ex-founder and Managing Director (1994-2000) of Transfair Canada. He is currently working on a book on zero growth. Ian Hussey, a PhD student (Sociology, York University), was the founding co-director of the Canadian Students Fair Trade Network. Jean-Frédéric Lemay (Ph.D, anthropology) is researcher on trade and agriculture at the NGO, Équiterre (Montreal) and a postdoctoral researcher at the Université du Québec en Outaouais.

- by Bob Thomson
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- Business Ethics, Applied Ethics, Development Studies, Globalization

BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN INTERNATIONAL STUDIES Course 2018-2019. Carlos III University - Rubén Díez García

- by RUBEN DIEZ GARCIA
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- Social Movements, Social Theory, Globalization, Global Civil Society

The Nobel Peace Prize-winning advocacy strategy of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) was primarily a discursive one. We aimed to change the way that people talk, think and feel about nuclear weapons, changing their social meaning from symbols of status to outdated, dangerous machines that have repulsive effects. Representatives of the nuclear-states often marginalize those calling disarmament by dismissing them as deluded. In her protest outside the room where states were negotiating the TPNW, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley chided them, saying “we have to be realistic.” However, ICAN campaigners called attention to the discrepancies between these claims to “realism” and the mystification that surrounded these nuclear weapons. To change how nuclear weapons were discussed, we brought nuclear weapons into new arenas where humanitarianism, human rights and environmentalism are regular conversations, and to inject these discourses into traditional nuclear forums. We demanded from states the meaningful participation of survivors, affected communities, medical professionals, faith leaders, humanitarian agencies, activists and academics in the nuclear conversation. We pointed out when forums and panels excluded women, people from the Global South and those who have experienced nuclear weapons’ effects.

- by Elizabeth Minor and +2
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- Gender Studies, International Relations, International Law, Global Civil Society

The dominant paradigm of international relations theory has long seen influence over nuclear arsenals as the preserve of presidents, premiers and generals of the world's great powers, not underfunded activists, feminist campaigners, radical nuns or even diplomats of small states. The approach of this special section could not be more different. In fact, we have intentionally curated a collection of articles that try to ‘de-center’ the academic conversation about nuclear weapons. The inspiration for our approach comes from the Humanitarian Initiative on Nuclear Weapons, which since its emergence after the 2010 Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has dramatically reshaped the diplomatic discussions on nuclear disarmament, led by small states and middle powers. The shift in discourse has been accelerated by revitalized civil society action, represented by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, a global NGO coalition, as well as renewed calls for disarmament from religious leaders – most notably Pope Francis. This special section, written from the perspective of scholars and practitioners associated with the Humanitarian Initiative, examines its dimensions and its potential impact on global policy making.

- by Matthew Breay Bolton and +1
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- Critical Theory, Discourse Analysis, International Relations, Critical Discourse Studies
- by Bob Edwards
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- Sociology, Political Sociology, Political Theory, Democratic Theory
- by Hasrul Hanif and +1
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- Global Civil Society, Governance of Natural Resources, Extractive industries, Social Movements/Civil Society
- by Dominique Reynie
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- European Studies, Public Opinion, Globalization, Global Civil Society

This contribution presents an overview on the numerous studies on the history of non-European middle classes which have been published within the last few years. It argues that the establishing of middle classes in different parts of the world can be construed to a considerable extent as the result of global entanglements in the long nineteenth century. The article further discusses the epistemological problems, however also the advantages, of describing these social groups which emerged in the non-European world in the age of empire with European concepts such as bourgeoisie or middle classes. And it explores whether an examination of their history could be extended to a global social history in a next step.

Στον παρόντα τόμο περιέχονται κείμενα τα οποία πραγμα-
τεύονται διαστάσεις και εξελίξεις στη μελέτη του κυβερ-
νοχώρου σε πολλαπλά πεδία έρευνας όπως η κοινωνία, η
οικονομία, το δίκαιο, η πολιτική, η εκπαίδευση και η υγεία.
Οι συμμετέχοντες, μέσα από την βιβλιογραφική ή εμπει-
ρική τους αναζήτηση, εστιάζουν σε πτυχές επί των ρα-
γδαίων πολιτισμικών, πολιτικών και κοινωνικών εξελίξεων
εντός του διαδικτύου κατά τον 21ο αιώνα και παρουσιά-
ζουν τόσο ποσοτικές όσο και ποιοτικές έρευνες των τε-
λευταίων ετών, αλλά και θεωρητικά επιχειρήματα, κριτικές
μελέτες και συγκριτικές έρευνες αναφορικά με τη σχέση
κοινωνίας και κυβερνοχώρου.
Ο τόμος έρχεται να καλύψει μια αχαρτογράφητη ακαδη-
μαϊκά και ερευνητικά περιοχή στην ελληνική βιβλιογραφία
και απευθύνεται σε πανεπιστημιακούς, φοιτητές, ερευνη-
τές, αλλά και σε κάθε αναγνώστη, οι οποίοι ενδιαφέρο-
νται να ενημερωθούν για το πώς ο κυβερνοχώρος απο-
τελεί πλέον συστατικό στοιχείο της καθημερινότητας των
υποκειμένων.

- by Anastasia Marinopoulou
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- Social Theory, Political Theory, Internet Studies, Global Civil Society
- by Hagai Katz
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- Global Civil Society

"ABSTRACT
In an effort at theoretical clarification, the authors reviewed 45 recent articles reporting empirical research employing the concept of `social capital'. The literature is roughly equally divided between those who treat social capital as an independent variable and those who consider it as a dependent variable, and between those who operationalize the concept principally in terms of norms, values and attitudes and those
who choose a more social structural operationalization, invoking social networks, organizations and linkages. Work on social capital as a mainly normative variable is dominated by political scientists and economists, while sociologists and a wide range of applied social scientists utilize more social structural understandings of the term. We find little to recommend in the use of `social capital' to represent the norms, values and attitudes of the civic culture argument. We present empirical, methodological and theoretical arguments for the irrelevance of `generalized social trust', in particular, as a significant factor in the health of democracies or economic development. Social
structural interpretations of social capital, on the other hand, have demonstrated considerable capacity to draw attention to, and illuminate, the many ways in which social resources are made available to individuals and groups for individual or group benefit, which we take to be the prime focus and central attraction of the social capital concept. The paper concludes by elaborating a context-dependent conceptualization of social capital as access plus resources, and cautions against `over-networked' conceptualizations that equate social capital with access alone."

- by Bob Edwards
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- Sociology, Political Sociology, Social Change, Social Movements

En introduction de l'ouvrage, Olivier Nay revient sur le phénomène d’ouverture des organisations internationales. Il insiste sur l’exigence de les étudier comme des espaces sociaux ouverts, dont l’une des caractéristiques est la forte institutionnalisation des relations entre les administrations et leur environnement où gravitent des acteurs non gouvernementaux aux statuts et intérêts divers. Défendant une approche sociologique centrée sur les activités pratiques des acteurs, l’analyse met en question la distinction classique entre le gouvernemental et le non-gouvernemental, tout comme les conceptions ordinaires tendant à donner une vision homogène des acteurs non gouvernementaux. Pour dépasser ces écueils, Olivier Nay invite à porter l’attention sur l’« écosystème » de chaque organisation, entendu comme un espace social formé de réseaux d’individus, de professions et d’autres organisations. Enfin, il revient sur l’essor des dispositifs participatifs dans les organisations internationales, qu’il appréhende comme un ensemble d’outils standardisés visant l’intégration du secteur non gouvernemental dans la nouvelle gouvernance des institutions.

Talde lan honen helburua, “Nazioarteko harremanetako 14 giltza-hitz”, Nazioarteko Harremanetako nozio
gakoekiko hurbiltze berri bat eskaintzean datza. Diziplina
honetako hamalau indar-ideia eta kontzepturen aukeraketaren bitartez, lan honek eztabaidarako gaiekin lehenengo kontaktua suposatuko du. Sarritan, irakasgai honetako zailtasunetariko bat termino zehatzen erabileran datza; diziplina beraren garapena markatu eta azalpen
bat merezi duten nozioak. Aukeratutako metodologiak,
kasu honetan tematikoa baino, kontzeptuala, ez dauka
eskuliburu klasikoa ezta esanahiez osatutako ohiko hiztegi bilakatzeko asmorik. Irakaskuntza anglosaxoiaren
metodologietan oinarriturik, ideia gako bakoitza sakonki
aztertzen da, diziplinaren autore nagusien aipamenaz eta
erabileraz, eta ikasleek uler dezaten idazkera lañoaz.
Gako bakoitzak egitura berdintsua dauka: doktrina-definizioak aztertu, fenomeno edo gako teorikoan zehar
ibilbide historikoa egin, kontzeptu bakoitzeko oinarrizko
ezaugarriak ordenaturik aurkeztu eta egungo eztabaida teoriko nagusiak errepasatu. Material hau, Europako
Unibertsitate Eremuan baliagarri izan dadin, nazioarteko errealitatean teoria enpirikoki aplikatu ahal izateko,
atal bakoitzaren amaieran adibide praktikoak eskaintzen dira.
Egitura honen bidez ikasleek, nazioarteko ikasketei
aurre egiteko, ezagupen teoriko, doktrinal eta praktiko
nahikoak izango dituzte eskura. Lan honek, beraz, hiru
xede ditu: nazioarteko ikasketetan oinarrizko material
bilakatzea, diziplinaren gako eta erakunde desberdinen
inguruan kontsultarako gida azkarra eskaintzea eta horien ulermen praktikoa bermatzea

- by Iratxe Perea Ozerin and +7
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- International Relations, Peace and Conflict Studies, Globalization, Global Civil Society
- by Staša Tkalec
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- Social Movements, International Relations, Journalism, Global Civil Society

This article argues that the transnational anti-apartheid movement which, from a global perspective, must be seen as one of the most significant social movements during the post-war era, made an important contribution to the emergence and consolidation of a global civil society during this period. The transnational anti-apartheid movement lasted for more than three decades, from the late 1950s to 1994, when the first democratic elections in South Africa were held, and it had a presence on all continents. In this sense, the interactions of the anti-apartheid movement were part of the construction of a global political culture during the Cold War. Further, I argue that the history of the anti-apartheid struggle provides an important historical case for the analysis of present-day global politics, as it is evident that the present mobilization of a global civil society in relation to economic globalization and supranational political institutions such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, has historical links to the post-war, transnational political culture of which the anti-apartheid movement formed an important part. Movement organizations, action forms and networks that were formed and developed in the anti-apartheid struggle are present in this contemporary context, making the transnational anti-apartheid movement an important historical resource for contemporary global civil society.

Back cover text: Real Social Science presents a new, hands-on approach to social inquiry. The theoretical and methodological ideas behind the book, inspired by Aristotelian phronesis, represent an original perspective within the social sciences, and this volume gives readers for the first time a set of studies exemplifying what applied phronesis looks like in practice. The reflexive analysis of values and power gives new meaning to the impact of research on policy and practice. Real Social Science is a major step forward in a novel and thriving field of research. This book will benefit scholars, researchers, and students who want to make a difference in practice, not just in the academy. Its message will make it essential reading for students and academics across the social sciences.

- by Bent Flyvbjerg and +1
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- Screenwriting, Critical Theory, Critical Theory, Critical Theory

- by Bent Flyvbjerg and +1
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- Screenwriting, Critical Theory, Critical Theory, Critical Theory

During the last few years, some donor countries (especially the US and the UK) have been increasingly outsourcing services in post-conflict operations to international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) and private military and security companies (PMSCs). These states have also adopted ‘integrated approaches’ to their policy interventions, contributing to the emergence of an ‘aid and security market’. The article uses ideas from both development and defence studies and re-problematises the contracting states’ relationship with PMSCs and INGOs. It argues that although INGOs and PMSCs are very different types of non-state actors, there are striking similarities in outsourcing practices. Moreover, it demonstrates that the leading contracting states have poorly managed their contracts with both INGOs and PMSCs, and have not seriously reflected on the unintended consequences of their contracting practices on the recovery of war-affected countries.

- by Bob Edwards
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- Sociology, Political Sociology, Social Movements, Social Theory
- by Bob Edwards
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- Sociology, Political Sociology, Social Theory, Social Theory
- by Nikolaos Zahariadis
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- Critical Theory, Business, Entrepreneurship, Organizational Behavior

This article examines five common misunderstandings about case-study research: (a) theoretical knowledge is more valuable than practical knowledge; (b) one cannot generalize from a single case, therefore, the single-case study cannot contribute to scientific development; (c) the case study is most useful for generating hypotheses, whereas other methods are more suitable for hypotheses testing and theory building; (d) the case study contains a bias toward verification; and (e) it is often difficult to summarize specific case studies. This article explains and corrects these misunderstandings one by one and concludes with the Kuhnian insight that a scientific discipline without a large number of thoroughly executed case studies is a discipline without systematic production of exemplars, and a discipline without exemplars is an ineffective one. Social science may be strengthened by the execution of a greater number of good case studies.

- by Bent Flyvbjerg
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- Critical Theory, Business, Entrepreneurship, Organizational Behavior

On all continents the enormity of the violence and danger of the times gives rise to multiple new practices of struggle and to conceptual innovations, which seek to serve justice, solidarity, and dignity for all. We explore the possibilities and different worlds intended in the main slogan of the World Social Forum ‘Another world is possible’. During its early years the World Social Forum was characterized by a fair amount of optimism. We know now that most of the high hopes of the movements have not been adequately materialized. The rise of authoritarian leaders and the nexus between capitalism and populism emerging in different parts of the world has created a new context for the attempts to create democratic futures. This collection presents and interrogates a variety of diagnoses of the present and of new strategies for transformative change that are emerging out of the forum process.

- by Teivo Teivainen
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- Social Movements, Global Civil Society, Capitalism, World Social Forums

The "Crescent and Dove: Peace and Conflict Resolution in Islam" is now available in Urdu. Dr. Muhammad Khalid Masud wrote the preface on its important contribution to the field of religion, peace, and conflict resolution in Urdu language. Revised articles, new introduction by Dr. Qamar-ul Huda, and appendices. Published by Emel Publications in Islamabad, Pakistan.

- by Qamar-ul Huda
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- Religion, Peace and Conflict Studies, Global Civil Society, Afghanistan
- by Léon Grimard
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- Globalization, Democratic Theory, Global Civil Society, Cosmopolitanism
- by Marlies Glasius
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- Global Civil Society
- by Alexander Hensby
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- Sociology, Social Theory, Media Studies, Globalization

This is the largest-ever evaluation of international lobbying and advocacy. It centres on lobbying and advocacy of CSOs active in the context of international development. as part of a much larger evaluation of the Dutch government’s 1.9 billion euro programme supporting development work by CSOs. The evaluation of lobbying and advocacy involved 10+ evaluators and assessed the work of 8 alliances of CSOs. The report includes many interesting lessons on international and networked advocacy, and evaluation of the same.

- by Margit van Wessel and +1
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- Campaigning, International Relations, Development Studies, International Development

Abstract
This study examines the organisational capacity and constraints of civil society organisations (CSOs) in Kono District, Sierra Leone and their potential to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) there. Capacity was found to be very low, with major constraints both internal and external preventing capacity growth and effectiveness. These included poor internal systems and member cooperation, external financial and in-kind dependency, power and politics within and without CSOs, communities’ fear of speaking to power and therefore their abdication of roles as checks and balances to hold leaders to account. Several options are available to CSOs, councils and chiefs to address Kono’s effectiveness at delivering the SDGs for Kono.

- by Sahr O Fasuluku
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- Development Studies, Global Civil Society, Sustainable Development, Sierra Leone
- by Frank Meier
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- Critical Theory, Business, Entrepreneurship, Organizational Behavior
- by Abdullatif El Ali
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- International Relations, Globalization, Global Civil Society, Global Governance

This paper seeks to make a contribution to the latest round of reform of the United Nations by assessing the strengths and weaknesses of Secretary General, Kofi Annnan's latest reform package 'In Larger Freedom: towards development, security and human rights for all'. More particularly Recommendation 162 dealing with the United Nations relationships with NGOs. It does this by evaluating the relationship between the UN and member states, the relationship between member states and civil society; and the formal and informal relationships between the UN and civil society.

The Report on the Capacity of the International Sector of Civil Society in Hong Kong finds that there are 215 INGOs based in Hong Kong through a quantitative survey from 2013-14. It also finds that a typical INGO based in Hong Kong is most likely formed under the Companies Ordinance with a governing board and has a primary mission of delivery service outside Hong Kong. An average INGO runs a small office of 6 to 7 full-time staff and has an annual income of below HK$1 million. It has in place a set of public accountability mechanisms and mechanisms for obtaining feedback from stakeholders, evaluating their performance and maintaining their service quality. Consistent with the international trend, there is a wide “rich-poor” gap among the INGOs in Hong Kong. Less than 5.5 percent of the rich INGOs enjoyed over 80 percent of the whole sector’s financial income in year 2013. A typical INGO in Hong Kong is likely well-connected to the business sector for donation or volunteer recruitment, but has limited networking with peer groups. Nor would it have much interaction with the Hong Kong government. No complaint of governmental intervention from INGOs was reported in the survey. Meanwhile, most INGOs surveyed did not report an interest in local advocacy or monitoring the local government. As one of the few published studies on international NGOs in Hong Kong, the report hopes to shed light on the field of global civil society in the metropolitan context of Hong Kong under the “One Country Two Systems” political framework of People’s Republic of China.

- by Anthony H F Li and +2
- •
- Globalization, Global Civil Society, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), China
- by Jonathan Fox
- •
- Social Movements, Nonprofit Studies, Transnationalism, Global Civil Society

For many recent commentators, the association of citizenship with the nation-state is under siege, as trans-national and even global forms of citizenship begin to emerge. The nascent phenomenon of global citizenship in particular is said to be characterised by three components: the global discourse on human rights; a global account of citizenly responsibilities; and finally ‘global civil society’. This last component is supposed to give a new global citizenship its ‘political’ character, and for many represents the most likely vehicle for the emergence of a global, democratic citizen politics. This paper critically examines this view, asking whether a global form of citizenship is indeed emerging, and if so whether ‘global civil society’ is well-equipped to stand in as its political dimension. The paper examines two opposed narratives on the potential of global civil society to form a political arm of global citizenship, before returning by way of conclusion to the vexed notion of global citizenship itself.

- by Chris Armstrong
- •
- Political Sociology, Philosophy, Political Philosophy, Ethics

Phronetic organizational research is an approach to the study of management and organizations focusing on ethics and power. It is based on a contemporary interpretation of the Aristotelian concept phronesis, usually as ‘prudence’. Phronesis is the ability to think and act in relation to values, to deliberate about ‘things that are good or bad for humans’ in the words of Aristotle (1976:1140a24–b12). Phronetic organizational research effectively provides answers to the following four value-rational questions, for specific problematics in management and organization studies: 1. Where are we going with this specific management problematic? 2. Who gains and who loses, and by which mechanisms of power? 3. Is this development desirable? 4. What, if anything, should we do about it?

- by Bent Flyvbjerg
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- Screenwriting, Critical Theory, Business, Entrepreneurship

The Aalborg Project may be interpreted as a metaphor of modern politics, modern administration and planning, and of modernity itself. The basic idea of the project was comprehensive, coherent, and innovative, and it was based on rational and democratic argument. During implementation, however, when idea met reality, the play of Machiavellian princes, Nietzschean will to power, and Foucauldian rationality-as-rationalization resulted in the fragmentation of the project.

- by Bent Flyvbjerg
- •
- Critical Theory, Business, Entrepreneurship, Organizational Behavior
- by Joe Bandy
- •
- Sociology, Social Movements, Globalization, Global Civil Society