Forum for Social Economics

Civil society and its role in the economy: theories, histories, controversies, prospects

CALL FOR PAPERS
Special Issue of the Forum for Social Economics
a Journal of the Association for Social Economics

Working Title:

CIVIL SOCIETY AND ITS ROLE IN THE ECONOMY: THEORIES, HISTORIES, CONTROVERSIES, PROSPECTS

Guest Editors:

Asimina Christoforou, Panteion University, Greece.

Muhammad Salman Khan, King’s College London, UK.

The Forum for Social Economics is pleased to invite submissions to a special issue on Civil society and its role in the economy: theories, histories, controversies, prospects. We particularly welcome submissions from different disciplines that complement the social-economic perspective and encourage the utilization of different theoretical perspectives and the application of a wide variety of methodological approaches (qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method). Both conceptual and empirical contributions are welcome.

The aim of the special issue is to study the relationship between the economy and civil society. The special issue is interested in analyzing the role of civil society from a critical perspective by addressing both the constraints and the prospects that civil society organizations face in making market and state institutions accountable with implications for transforming public policy and economic decision-making in line with objectives of social and ecological protection.

Civil society refers to non-governmental, not-for-profit self-governing organizations and informal groups that pursue collective values and goals. In this sense, it may include various social groups, such as trade unions; business or consumer associations; professional associations (for instance, farmers, builders, academics, lawyers etc); foundations; charities; non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with a focus on specific issues (poverty, migrants, youths, race, gender, etc); community-based organizations (CGOs) with a focus on certain activities (development, urban regeneration); faith-based organizations (for instance, the Catholic Church); religious congregations; social movements (for the protection of the environment, human rights, peace); lobbyists; cooperatives (farmers, workers); the social and solidarity economy; informal neighborhood self-help groups; activist groups; spontaneous collective initiatives to deal with crises (recession, floods, earthquakes); connections with criminal organizations, patron-client networks, powerful economic and political groups.

Civil society organizations may have different forms, objectives, and effects within various geographical, economic, historical, cultural and institutional contexts. It has been argued that social organizations and voluntary associations have a positive impact on the effectiveness and the efficiency of public and market institutions. On the other hand, more radical approaches to civil society stress the negative impact of civil society organizations on the economy and the society because they reproduce structures of power relations and social stratification. In fact, contemporary uses of the term civil society among politicians, scholars and NGOs have been criticized for offering an individualist depoliticised perception of citizens’ engagement and participation within the society, one that is consistent with neoliberal ideologies, and thus potentially breeds political apathy, undemocratic actions and violence within a global environment teeming with multiple crises.

Civil society has more often been studied in relation to political action and its effectiveness in strengthening civic engagement and democratic participation, while limited attention has been paid to its contribution in assessing and transforming relations and institutions within the economy. The special issue attempts to fill this void by focusing on the ways civil society institutions can affect the economy and build the capacity to support the protection of civil, political, and social rights by shaping public policies and economic decisions for production, consumption, redistribution and development. Moreover, the special issue comes at a timely moment as citizens are called upon to address the socio-economic consequences of multiple crises, as well as the failures of traditional market and state institutions in confronting these crises.