Question

6. What is Civil society? What are its features? Discuss the role of civil society in

contemporary society with some illustrations.​

Answer 1

Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere. ... Especially in the discussions among thinkers of Eastern and Central Europe, civil society is seen also as a normative concept of civic values.
(1) Civil Society consists of non-governmental, voluntarily organized associations, organizations and institutions of the people.

(2) Civil Society is different from both the State and Society.
(3) Civil Society is, however, neither opposed to state nor to society. On the contrary it works as a supplementary to each of the two. It, however, works in an organized and autonomous way.

(4) A healthy and efficient democratic system needs and integrates civil society, society and state.

(5) Civil Society is constituted by the well-organised and active presence of a number of social, economic and cultural associations and groups of the people.
(6) Both Liberalism and Marxism accept and advocate the role of Civil Society but each conceptualizes it in a different way.

Civil Society as the network of the associations and activities of all socio-economic- cultural non-governmental organizations of the people is deemed essential for the health, efficiency and progress of every democratic society.


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