Unit 2: Civil Society and Other Actors

In modern times, civil society needs to be positioned in the context of the market and state, together forming the ‘trinity’. Changing political and economic geographies has led to transformations in the characteristics of the interactions between the various components in the trinity. With a new wave of marketisation and privatisation in the countries of the global South, one is witnessing the rise of tri-sector partnerships between all the components of the trinity. Thiss Unit shall examine what are the various aspects to these relations.
After completing this Unit you will be familiar with the following (with reference to both India and the wider international context):

• The overall dynamics of relationships and interaction between the state, the market and civil society
• The practices and issues involved in civil society – state interactions and relationships
• The practices and issues involved in civil society – market interactions and relationships
• The attitudes and practices of donors towards civil society