IRL220 – Global Civil Society
This course examines the theoretical and practical challenges NGOs and other stakeholders encounter in what is often regarded as an emerging global civil society.
The words ‘global’ and ‘civil society’ have become part of the contemporary political lexicon. This course considers the relations between these terms and asks whether there exists a ‘global civil society’.
It will do so by showing how and why the concept of civil society has become disconnected with the traditional borders of the territorial state. The course will review the notion of ‘civil society’ and its ‘globalization’ process by considering the role of NGOs, dissident groups in repressive regimes, laborers, campaigners, and ‘terrorists’.
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Understand the background of the term ‘global civil society’;
- Grasp the mechanisms through which civil societies have become detached from their traditional borders;
- Assess and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the concept of ‘global civil society’;
- Understand how various global actors interact.