Role Of Civil Society

Role Of Civil Society

How society is governed? What is justice? How can the dignity and self respect of human beings be assured? How can u morality be realised ? These and many related questions have been the area of interest of many social scientists. Political theorists have posited the state as the principal institution that major role in defining the political, cultural, social and economic aspects of any society. In short, state and societal governance were treated as synonymous.

However, equating state and societal governance posed a peculiar problem — ‘If every state possess umate power and exercises a set of definite functions, then each state should be like any other’. However, States are dissimilar and differ in the way they accumulate, articulate and exercise political power. Why does this difference arise ? Answer to this question can be located in the environment in which the state operates. The environment comprises variety of forces that intluence societal governance. One of the main components of the environment that exercises a dominant influence on the state and its role in societal governance is the Civil Society.

Civil Society is composed of groups and associations organised voluntarily, devoted to the cause of collective good, independent of the state and of any other vested interest.

Definitions

Some of the important definitions of Civil Society’ are given below:

Jeffrey Alexander : “Civil Society is an inclusive; umbrella-like concept referring to a plethora of institutions outside the state”

Niraja Gopal Jayal : “Civil Society covers all forms of voluntary association and social interaction not controlled by the state”.

S.K. Das: “Civil Society is the organised Society over which the state rules”.

George Huggins : “Civil Society is a social space, distinct from the state and business sectors but having a, sometimes tense, co-relationship with that state, functioning through association”.

Susanne Hoeber Rudolph : “Civil Society is defined variously by different theorists, but a minimal definition would include the idea of a non-state autonomous sphere; empowerment of citizens; trust-building associational life; interaction with, rather than subordination to the State”.

Larry Diamond : “Civil society represents the realm of an organized social life that is voluntary, self- generating, largely self- supporting,.and bound by a legal order or set of shared values”

Features Of Civil Society

1. It refers to non-state institutions
2. It covers a large space in society
3. It refers to the organised Society
4. It covers groups which are intermediate between the state ( political society) and the family( natural society ).
5. While it is autonomous, it is subject to the authority of state.
6. It implies the existence of freedom of association, freedom of thought and other civil of freedom economic rights.
7. It is in pursuit of common public good
8. It opposes authoritarianism and totalitarianism
9. It promotes citizenship by educating the individual
10. It facilitates citizen’s participation in the politico-administrative affairs.
11. It formulates public opinion and sets the demands which are general in nature.
12. Its important attribute is voluntarism, not coercion.
13. It advocates pluralism to reduce the domination of the state.
14. It serves as a moral referent in the community value system.

John Keane, the British theorist, summarises the current positive thinking about Civil Society as : “The emerging consensus that Civil Society is a realm of freedom correctly highlights its basic value as a condition of democracy; where there is a no Civil Society there cannot be citizens with capacities to choose their identities, entitlements and duties within a political-legal Framework.

Components

The organisations and groups included under the umbrella concept of Civil Society are:

1. Non-governmental organisations
2. Community-based organisations
3. Indigenous people’s organisations
4. Trade Unions
5. Farmer’s organisations
6. Cooperatives
7. Religious associations
8. Youth groups
9. Women’s groups
10. Other similarly organised groups.

In USA, the Civil Society is highly developed, while in India, it is fast growing since the 1970s. In the words of Niraja Gopal Jayal, with regard to India, it has been argued that Civil Society, in the sense of opposition to the State, is developed, while Civil Society, in the sense of associational groups, is not.

Neera Chandhoke observed, Civil Society in India is seen by most theorists as a fluid association of social groupings which are based on caste and kinship linkages or on religious mobilisation as much as on voluntary social association.

Categories Of Civil Societies Institutions In India

Rajesh Tandon has classified Civil Society Institutions in India into the following cateogaries:

1. Traditional associations based on caste, tribe or ethnicity
2. Religious associations like Ramakrishna Mission, Islamic Institutions, etc
3. Social movements of several types, viz.
   • Movements focusing on the needs of a particular group like women or tribals
   • Movements to reform social evils like dowry or liquor.
   • Movements to protest against displacements due to developments and
   • Movements focusing on governance like civil liberties campaigns or anti- corruption campaigns.
4. Membership associations of different types viz.
   • Representational like trade unions, peasants organisations and so on
   • Professional like associations of lawyers, doctors, etc
   • Socio-cultural like sports clubs, recreational clubs and so forth.
   • A Self-help like ward committees in cities or community-based organisations in villages.
5. Intermediary associations of different types, viz.
   • Service delivery like schools, homes for destitute and so on
   • Mobilisational which help organise marginalised sections to demand their own rights.
   • Supportive which provide support to other community-based associations.
   • Philanthropic like Child Relief and You (CRY), Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and so forth
   • Advocacy which explicitly advocate a particular cause.
   • New work which extend collective voice and strength like Association of Voluntary Agencies in Rural Development (AVARD).

Role Of Civil Society Institutions

The Civil Society Organisations (Voluntary or non-governmental organisations) play an important role in the welfare and development administration. The various dimensions of their role are: 

1. They organise and mobilise the poor for socio-economic development.
2. They disseminate information and make the people aware of various schemes, programmes, and projects initiated by the Government for their betterment.
3. They facilitate the people’s participation in administrative process.
4. They make the administrative machinery more responsive to the needs and aspirations of the 3 people, people.
5. They impose a community system of accountability on the functioning of administrative machinery at lower levels. Thus, they reduce the scope for corruption.
6. the administrative, machinery in identifying the target groups.
7. The facilitate the usage of local resources for local development and thus make the communities self-reliant.
8. They create political consciousness among the people by discussing various political issues.
9. They act as the watch-dogs of the public interest.
10. They strengthen the principle of self-help.

However, it must be mentioned here that the role of volu the efforts of government and not competing with it.