- [UNTITLED]
- Contributors
- Introduction: Civil Society and the Geometry of Human Relations
- The History of Civil Society Ideas
- The Nonprofit Sector
- Development NGOs
- Grassroots Associations
- Social Movements
- Social Enterprise and Social Entrepreneurs
- Global Civil Society
- Civil Society in the United States
- Civil Society in Latin America
- Civil Society in Post-Communist Europe
- Civil Society in the Middle East
- Civil Society in China
- Civil Society in India
- Civil Society in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Civil Society and Social Capital
- Civil and Uncivil Society
- Civil Society and Civility
- Civil Society and Equality
- Civil Society and Diversity
- Civil Society and Religion
- Civil Society and Spirituality
- Civil Society and Government
- Civil Society and Civil Liberties
- Civil Society and the Public Sphere
- Civil Society and Public Work
- Civil Society in the Digital Age
- Civil Society and Public Journalism
- Civic Knowledge
- Civil Society and Democracy
- Civil Society and Poverty
- Civil Society and Peace
- Civil Society and Power
- Civil Society and the Market
- Civil Society and Institutional Philanthropy
- Civil Society and Grassroots Philanthropy
- Assisting Civil Society and Promoting Democracy
- Conclusion: Civil Society as a Necessary and Necessarily Contested Idea
- Index
Abstract and Keywords
This article provides a critical survey of the contemporary history of civil society in sub-Saharan Africa. It discusses criticisms on the alleged weaknesses of contemporary civil society associations, especially urban-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and highlights the re-emergence of old anxieties about the capacity of civil society to expound African socialities. It concludes that while the early promise of civil society may have been exaggerated there is equal danger in inflating current levels of disillusionment with a set of ideas that retain real analytic and practical utility.
Keywords: civil society, sub-Saharan Africa, contemporary history, NGOs, African socialities
Ebenezer Obadare is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, and holds a Ph.D. in Social Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is the coeditor of Encountering the Nigerian State (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010).
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- [UNTITLED]
- Contributors
- Introduction: Civil Society and the Geometry of Human Relations
- The History of Civil Society Ideas
- The Nonprofit Sector
- Development NGOs
- Grassroots Associations
- Social Movements
- Social Enterprise and Social Entrepreneurs
- Global Civil Society
- Civil Society in the United States
- Civil Society in Latin America
- Civil Society in Post-Communist Europe
- Civil Society in the Middle East
- Civil Society in China
- Civil Society in India
- Civil Society in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Civil Society and Social Capital
- Civil and Uncivil Society
- Civil Society and Civility
- Civil Society and Equality
- Civil Society and Diversity
- Civil Society and Religion
- Civil Society and Spirituality
- Civil Society and Government
- Civil Society and Civil Liberties
- Civil Society and the Public Sphere
- Civil Society and Public Work
- Civil Society in the Digital Age
- Civil Society and Public Journalism
- Civic Knowledge
- Civil Society and Democracy
- Civil Society and Poverty
- Civil Society and Peace
- Civil Society and Power
- Civil Society and the Market
- Civil Society and Institutional Philanthropy
- Civil Society and Grassroots Philanthropy
- Assisting Civil Society and Promoting Democracy
- Conclusion: Civil Society as a Necessary and Necessarily Contested Idea
- Index