Civil Society and Media in the process of Development

Abstract

There are myriad definitions of civil society in the post-modern sense. The London School of Economics Centre for Civil Society’s working definition is illustrative: Civil society refers to the arena of un-coerced collective action around shared interests, purposes and
values. In theory, its institutional forms are distinct from those of the state, and market, though in practice, the boundaries between state, civil society, and market are often complex, blurred and negotiated. Civil society commonly embraces a diversity of spaces, actors and institutional forms, varying in their degree of formality, autonomy and power. Civil societies are often populated by organizations such as registered charities, development non-governmental organizations, community groups, women’s organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, trade unions, self-help groups, social movements, business associations, coalitions and advocacy groups.