The idea of global civil society

Abstract

The main argument of this article is that the idea of global civil society challenges the concept of international relations. It traces the evolution of the idea of society and argues that civil society has always meant a rule‐governed society where rules were based on some form of social contract among citizens. Historically, civil society was always territorially tied and contrasted with international relations between states. What changed in the 1980s and 1990s was the global dimension of civil society—a social contract is being negotiated across borders establishing a set of global rules involving states as well as international institutions. The article ends by asking whether September 11 and the war in Iraq mark a reversion to international relations.

Toward a New Social Contract? The Participation of Civil Society in Swedish Welfare Policymaking, 1958–2012

“…The term moreover captures the idea of how society should be organized regarding the basic rights and obligations of citizens in terms of political representation, as well as the principles for how social services should be arranged (Tilly 1975;Kaldor 2003;Rousseau 2009). Following that understanding, social contracts often stand as a reference point in discussions of the transformation of Western welfare states and the changing role and responsibilities of civil society and markets.…”

Cosmopolitismo feminista contra globalización

“…Como consecuencia y reflejo de ese diálogo empezará a usarse cada vez con más fuerza la etiqueta plural de "feminismos". La concienciación de una ciudadanía global (Kaldor 2003), junto con esta visión de la abrumadora variabilidad humana, han guiado un debate dentro del feminismo acerca de cómo entender ese sujeto mujer para el que estamos reclamando derechos humanos. Este debate, no sólo es importante a efectos teóricos y académicos, sino que tiene repercusiones en la vida de las mujeres.…”

Essay: Rethinking Global Civil Society and the Public Sphere in the Age of Pro-democracy Movements

“…Some authors in Western Europe stand out in the multifaceted, abundant reflection on polysemic civil society, after having reclaimed this term from progressive perspectives used in the last decades of the twentieth century (Kaldor, 2003;. The objective of such proposals was to create forms of political transformation in which citizens are politically active and capable and the State is the frame that guaranteed rights.…”

“…The increasing impact of globalisation and increased interconnectivity through new communication tools have extended polysemy and to the concept that has become known as global civil society. The growing transnationalisation of activism is considered evidence that global civil society is in the process of consolidation (Anheier Glasius & Kaldor, 2001;Kaldor, 2003). There is also talk of 'globalisation from below', presented as an alternative to the "globalisation from above" process (Kaldor, Anheier & Glasius, 2003;Falk, 1998).…”