- [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 examines the place of civil society in the digital age and the role of technology in civil society. It explains that research and commentary about the role of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in producing or reflecting social, cultural, economic, and political change has a very long history and discusses the rigidities that prevent ICTs from having any truly transformative effects on civil society or indeed society at large. It emphasizes the extent to which civil society deliberation and action in the twenty-first century both depend on, and are constrained by, electronic communication resources and their governance. The article argues that civil society and ICTs stand in a reciprocal relationship to each other because politics and communication go hand in hand.
Keywords: civil society, digital age, ICTs, transformative effects, electronic communication, politics
Roberta G. Lentz is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Art History and Communication Studies at McGill University, and a former Program Officer in Electronic Media Policy at the Ford Foundation from 2001 to2007.
Access to the complete content on Oxford Handbooks Online requires a subscription or purchase. Public users are able to search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter without a subscription.
Please subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you have purchased a print title that contains an access token, please see the token for information about how to register your code.
For questions on access or troubleshooting, please check our FAQs, and if you can''t find the answer there, please contact us.
- [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