30231

WiSe 21/22: The Politicization of Civil Society

Swen Hutter

Hinweise für Studierende

ACHTUNG! Diese LV wird in Präsenz durchgeführt, siehe Raumangaben.
CAUTION! This course will take place in presence. Check the location info.

Kommentar

Contemporary societies in Europe and beyond have seen the emergence of new cleavages, often driven by populist radical right challengers and cross-cutting traditional political divides. Importantly, these new cleavages have not only put traditional political parties under pressure but have also resulted in a profound politicization of civil society. The politicization of civil society refers to at least four dynamics: First, we have seen an increasing number of civil society organizations with socio-political objectives compared to leisure activities. Second, traditional civil society organizations (from unions, church-related associations, to sports clubs) have been forced to take sides in controversial political debates. Simultaneously, they have been challenged also within their own ranks by the rise of new political parties and movements. Third, new social movements from the right have successfully mobilized citizens on the streets by articulating nativist and anti-immigration positions. Finally, we have also seen increasing counter-mobilization against the rise of radical right populist forces. In the research placement, we will analyze these dynamics in civil society in Europe and beyond. The students will engage with theoretical accounts form civil society and social movement studies. They will conduct their empirical research, either based on existing data (such as individual or organizational survey data) or their own original data collections. Note that participants should have a good intermediary background in statistical modeling, using as software either Stata or R. Schließen

Literaturhinweise

Basic Readings
Berman, Sheri. (1997). Civil Society and the Collapse of the Weimar Republic. World Politics Vol. 49, No. 3, pp. 401-429
della Porta, Donatella (2020). Building Bridges: Social Movements and Civil Society in Times of Crisis. Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary & Nonprofit Organizations Vol. 31, No. 5, pp. 938-948. Schließen