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This course deals with Civil Society, Political Regimes and Conflict. The concept of state lies at the centre of any meaningful political theorising but there is no unanimity about its meaning, content and definition. It is because of such contesting notions about the state, in the heyday of the behavioural revolution in the 1960s, that David Easton substituted the word system for the state. Most often the state is understood as what it is not. A state is not government as governments change periodically and many times frequently but the state is permanent. A state is distinguished by political theorists from civil society which refers to the whole gamut of organised and permanent institutions and behavioural practices like the economy, churches, religious institutions, schools and centres of higher learning, and cultural centres, places of ordinary day to day activity of the average citizen. According to Weber, a state refers to a fixed political system and an organised community that exercises authority legitimately and authoritatively. The state as an all powerful leviathan is a thing of the past as it has to contend with plurality of associations within the civil society. Such associations may not always be critical of the state but instead represent manifold and diverse individual interests. We will discuss about these concepts, contention, conflict and reconciliation in this course with Gandhian approach. Civil society has an important role to play in consolidating democracy. It needs to be autonomous and able to resist manipulation by the state and business interests. A strong and reliable civil society can represent the interests of the people and the community and serve as a check on the use of political regime and conflict of interests is the core of the course.
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WEEK
TOPICS
Week-1
UNDERSTANDING CIVIL SOCIETY
The Evolution of Civil Society
Aristotle and the Classical Notion of Civil Society
Post-Aristotle Evolution
Early Modern Notion of Civil Society: Ferguson and Scottish Enlightenment
Civil Society and State in Opposition: Paine
Civil Society as Life of State: Tocqueville
State As Universal and Civil Society as Particular: Hegel
Week-2
ELEMENTS OF CIVIL SOCIETY
Origins of the Concept of Civil Society
Gramsci’s Seminal Contribution
Origins of the Concept of Civil Society
Gramsci’s Seminal Contribution
Croce’s Influence
On Civil Society
Theory of State
Relative Autonomy of Politics
Hegemony and Role of Intellectuals
Analysis of Fascism
Post-Second World War Debate
Week-3
CIVIL SOCIETY: LOCAL AND GLOBAL
Origins and Notion of Civil Society: Local and Global
Meaning of Global Civil Society
NGO’s: Role and Relevance
Accountability of Civil Society Organizations
Week-4
GANDHIAN CIVIL SOCIETY FOR GLOBAL PEACE
Problem of Defining Civil Society,
Gandhi’s Notion of Civil Society, Gandhian Civil Society,
Gandhian Civil Society of His time, Gandhian Civil Society after Gandhi,
Gandhian Civil Society and Globalisation, Challenges to Global Peace, Gandhian Civil Society: An Answer for Global Peace
VOLUNTARISM IN GANDHI
Civil Society: Nature and Scope
The Hegelian State
The Pluralist State
Debate on Advanced Capitalist State
Week-5
STATE AND CIVIL SOCIETY INTERFACE
Civil Society: Nature and Scope
The Hegelian State
The Pluralist State
Debate on Advanced Capitalist State
Week-6
CIVIL SOCIETY IN GLOBALISED MARKET
Globalisation as a Multifaceted Process
Changing Relations among Market, State and Civil Society
Conventions theory
Globalisation, Cold War and Political Regimes
Neo-liberalism’s Advances after the Cold War
The ‘War on Terrorism’, Political Regimes and Neo-liberal Globalisation
Civil Society, Global Governance and Internet
The Digital Divide and International Governance
Digital Divide to Digital Opportunity?
Week-7
CIVIL SOCIETY AND POLITICAL REGIMES
Debate over Civil Society
Civil Society and State, Political RegimesDemocracy, Aristocracy Monarchy, Dictatorship
Republic, Civil Society’s Relevance in Asia,
The Asian Crisis and Regime Convergence,
War on Terrorism and Political Regimes,
Trends in Regime Types, 1990-2005 ,
The Decline in Closed Authoritarian Regimes and the Rise of Hegemonic Authoritarian Regimes
Week-8
CIVIL SOCIETY, RESISTANCE AND PROTEST
The Concept of Civil Society,
Pre-modern History, Modern History,
Post-modern History, Resistance and Protest,
Non-Violence: An Attribute of Protest and Resistance,
Non-violent Action, Some of the Recent Protest Movements,
Anti-nuclear Protest Movements,
Some of the Early Resistance Movements and Contextual Relevance
Week-9
ROLE OF NGOs IN PEACE PROCESS
Who is an NGO?
Types of NGOs and The Importance of NGOs
Methods and Strategies used by NGOs
Some Prominent NGOs, Taking up a Cause
GLOBAL PEACE MOVEMENTS
The Underlying Causes of Violence and War
Lasting World Peace
Organisations Related to Global Peace
United Nations, International Committee of the Red Cross
Grameen Bank, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
University of Peace , Realizing the Dream
Peace Pilgrim, Soka Gakkai International,
The International Committee of Artists for Peace
The Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research
Week-10
HUMAN RIGHTS AND CULTURE FOR PEACE
Defining Human Rights
The Origins and Historical Development of Human Rights
Culture of Peace, Evolution of the Concept
Eight Action Areas for Creating a Culture of Peace
PEACE MOVEMENTS IN INDIA
Understanding Peace Movements,
Types of Peace Movements, Genesis and Evolution of Peace Movements,
Development of Peace Movements,
Peace Education,
Issues in Peace Movements
Week-11
GANDHI, CAPACITY BUILDING AND EMPOWERMENT
Empowerment, Meaning of Power, Dimensions of Power,
What is Empowerment?, Diverse meaning of Empowerment’
Dimensions of Empowerment, The Process of Empowerment,
Why is Women’s Empowerment Important?,
The Key Elements of Women’s Empowerment,
Empowerment Paradigm, Marginalisation and Empowerment,
Economics and Empowerment,
Personal Development and Empowerment,
Capacity Building, Specifications of Capacity Building,
Gandhi on Empowerment, Gandhi on Empowerment of Women,
Women as Equal to Men, Constructive Programme
Week-12
GRASSROOTS/PEOPLE’S INITIATIVES
Decentralisation, Different views about Decentralisation,
The Pre-Independence Period,
Approaches to Study the Concept of Panchayati Raj,
PRIs for Decentralisation at the Grassroots level,
Characteristics of decentralised co-operation in human development programmes, Characteristics of Decentralisation according to WHO, Strategies, Control from above, Encouragement and Information, Control from Below, Strength to People’s Initiatives,
Limits and Constraints, Dependence on the Public Funding
MOBILISING VOLUNTARY ACTION
Development of the Society,
Social Exclusion, Exclusion from the Society for the purpose of Development, Main Mechanisms of Exclusion, What makes Local Institutions Accountable?, The ‘Role’ of Civil Society, ‘Enabling Regimes’ and Local Autonomy, Elections, Parties and Competitive Politics, Voluntary Action,
Mobilising Voluntary Action through Social Movements, Types of Social Movements, Dynamics of Social Movements, Some Important Social Movements, NGOs and Voluntary Action, Types of NGOs, Mixed Response of NGOs, Importance of NGOs
