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This book presents a selection of recent research on the general theme of civil society and social capital. In particular, it brings together in one volume a selection of articles that have helped to take the debate forward on the relation between social capital and democratisation and on the role and political strength or weakness of civil society in post-communist countries. The authors range in their approaches from detailed examinations of the extent and character of social capital in different societies in post-communist Eastern Europe, to studies of civil society in particular countries of the region and case studies of different civil society groups including environmental groups, local interest groups, pensioners' groups, car drivers' groups and trade unions. The newly written introduction provides a critical review of the wider body of literature on the theme, placing the selected articles in a broader context, and identifying ways forward for future research. This book is a compilation of articles published in Europe-Asia Studies.
List of contents
Introduction: Transformation, Post-socialist Legacies and the Problem of Civil Society Terry Cox 1. Putnam's Social Capital Theory Goes East: A Case Study of Western Ukraine and L'viv Martin Åberg 2. Social Capital and Community Participation in Post-Soviet Armenia: Implications for Policy and Practice Babken V. Babajanian 3. Social Capital, Ethnicity and Support for Democracy in Post-Communist States Kathleen M. Dowley and Brian D. Silver 4. Citizen Participation in Local Governance in Eastern Europe: Rediscovering a Strength of Civil Society in the Post-Socialist World Tsveta Petrova 5. The Structure and Culture of Post-Communist Civil Society in Latvia Anders Uhlin 6. The Development of Pensioners' Interest Organisations in Central and Eastern Europe: A Comparison of the Czech and Slovene Cases Seán Hanley 7. Civil Society, Trade Unions and Post-Soviet Democratisation: Evidence from Russia and Ukraine Paul Kubicek 8. Driving at Democracy in Russia: Protest Activities of St Petersburg Car Drivers' Associations Markku Lonkila 9. Making a Difference? NGOs and Civil Society Development in Russia Jo Crotty
About the author
Terry Cox is Professor of Central and East European Studies at the University of Glasgow, UK,and Editor of the journal Europe-Asia Studies. His recent research has focused on the politics and sociology of post-communist transformations in East Central Europe, including work on civil society and the politics of interest representation.
Summary
This book presents a selection of recent research on the general theme of civil society and social capital and in particular, on the relation between social capital and democratisation and the question of the political strength or weakness of civil society in post-communist countries. This book is a compilation of articles published in Europe-Asia Studies.
