MGPE-013 Civil Society Political Regimes and Conflict (Elective Course)

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.

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 Regimes

Democracy, 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