Unit 1(CSB)

Unit 1: Civil Society: Meanings, Origins, Functions and Interpretations

Civil society is a not a new concept and has been present since ancient times. But, recently, it has gained a lot of popularity and various people have made an attempt in learning it past and histories.

The Unit tries to trace the history of civil society and its various conceptualisations. For example, one looks into what early philosophers had to say about civil society vis-à-vis how one theorises about it today.

After completing this Unit you will be familiar with the following:

  • The historical, cultural and intellectual roots of the concept of civil society, with reference to both developed and developing countries
  • Perspectives on the definition, purposes, functions and scope of civil society, and, within it, of civil society organisations
  • A categorisation of civil society organisations
Last modified: Monday, 19 October 2015, 1:10 PM