Uncivil Societies : A Theory of Sociopolitical Change
In times of crises, it is always useful to revisit some of the paradigms that underlie collective thinking and action. For nearly 200 years, most social science has relied on the assumption that the emergence of strong and nurturing social capital...
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| Format: | Policy Research Working Paper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2012
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| Online Access: | http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20090519151120 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/4136 |
| Summary: | In times of crises, it is always useful
to revisit some of the paradigms that underlie collective
thinking and action. For nearly 200 years, most social
science has relied on the assumption that the emergence of
strong and nurturing social capital through a vibrant civil
society yields all kind of positive externalities to
society. Following intuition and anecdotal observations from
Alexis de Tocqueville, a large body of theoretical and
empirical research has attempted to confirm that societies
strive politically and economically when they are able to
build strong non-state actors and community organizations.
Many disciplines-mainly political science, economics, law,
and international relations-have constructed influential
analytical frameworks in support of that general
proposition. This paper examines the philosophical
foundations of conventional wisdom and observes that it
often fails to take into account the dark side of some civil
society groups, from the mafia to Al Qaeda. While
acknowledging the potential contribution of civil society to
the development process, the paper also cautions again the
rush to circumvent the state, which sometimes sustains
community-based initiatives in poor countries. It suggests
the possibility of the production of negative social capital
by non-state actors. |
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