Over the course of the last decade the concept of civil society has come to occupy a place at the heart of public policy. However, civil society is never a neutral concept. What 'civil society' means, as well as what it can and should do, are matters of much debate. This book provides a critical evaluation of some of the main themes and points of contention in debates on civil society, past and present. The contributors explore the relevance of the concept of civil society for thinking about the relationship between state and citizen, the significance of market values within contemporary societies and their impact upon individuals, and about how societies voluntarily organize themselves beyond the state. Written in a lively and accessible style by researchers from a range of disciplines, the book examines dimensions of civil society in contemporary Wales. Reflection on the consequences of devolution for civil society in Wales informs a good deal of the discussion throughout the book. In doing so the contributors draw on recent and new empirical research on Wales, as well as on wider political and social theories of civil society. Topics covered include religion and civil society, the voluntary sector, the media, nationalism, community regeneration, young people and citizenship and ethnic minorities.
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The contributors to this text provide a critical evaluation of some of the main ideas associated with civil society and, by drawing on original empirical research, will explore the mechanics of civil society across a number of areas.
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Foreward - Rt. Hon. Rhodri Morgan AM; Civil Society in Wales - Graham Day, David Dunkerley and Andrew Thompson; The Civil Society Index for Wales - Anna Nicholl; Public Religion and Civil Society in Wales - Paul Chambers and Andrew Thompson; Infiltration or Incorporation? The voluntary sector and civil society post devolution in Wales - Mark Drakeford; Civil Society in Action: Network Building and Partnerships in Wales - Lesley Hodgson; Between Consent and Coercion: Civil Society, Bilingualism and the Welsh Language - Robin Mann; Civil and Uncivil Society: Ethnic Minorities and Associational Life in Wales- Charlotte Williams; The Communicative Dimension of Civil Society: Media and the Public Sphere - David Barlow, Tom O'Malley and Philip Mitchell; Community Regeneration, Social Exclusion and Civil Society - David Adamson; Civil Society and the Political Culture of Wales - Alys Thomas; 'A Few Hours a Week': Charity Shop Volunteering in Wales' - Sandra Betts; Young People, Identity and Citizenship Catherine Davies and David Dunkerley A Community of Communities? Civil Society and Rural Wales - Graham Day; Civil Society and Economic Institutions in Wales - Graham Day and David Jones
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Graham Day is a senior lecturer in the School of Social Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor. David Dunkerley is professor of sociology at the University of Glamorgan. Andrew Thompson is a principal lecturer in sociology at the University of Glamorgan also.
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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780708318515
Publisert
2006-10-29
Utgiver
Vendor
University of Wales Press
Høyde
210 mm
Bredde
148 mm
Aldersnivå
G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet

Biographical note

Graham Day is a Reader in Sociology at Bangor University. Andrew Thompson is Head of School, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of South Wales. Professor David Dunkerley was a prominent sociologist whose research included civil society, European migration and studies on globalisation.