Post-Soviet Civil Society: Democratization in Russia and the Baltic States

by Anders Uhlin

Overview

The development of civil society has varied greatly across the former Soviet Union. The Baltic states have achieved a high level of integration with the West and European Union membership, while some regions in Russia lag far behind.

Now for the first time there is a comparative study of civil society and democratization across post-Soviet national borders. Acknowledging the enormous variation throughout the region, the book offers unique data on developments in Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Applying an innovative analytical framework derived from theories of democratization, civil society, social movements and transnational relations, the researchers have formulated broader comparisons and generalisations without neglecting the specific post-Soviet context. The book provides a systematic comparison across sectors as well as nations, and includes chapters on NGOs, the state and conflict, and transnationalisation. Quantitative survey data is combined with qualitative interviews and case study research to both confirm previous findings about the weakness of post-communist civil society and to qualify previous research.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780415368049
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	12/13/2005
Series:	BASEES/Routledge Series on Russian and East European Studies , #25
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Anders Uhlin is associate professor of political science at Lund University, Sweden. His main fields of research are democratization, civil society and transnational relations. Previous publications include Indonesia and the ‘Third Wave of Democratisation’ (1997) and Transnational Activism in Asia (2004) (co-edited with Nicola Piper).

Table of Contents

1: Introduction Previous Research on Post-Soviet Civil Society The Research Problem Research Design Outline of the Book 2: Democratization and Civil Society: A Framework for Analysis Democracy and Democratization Civil Society Civil Society and Democracy Conclusion 3: Civil Society and the Fall of Communist Rule Civil Society before and under Communism? The Emergence of Civil Society in Russia under Gorbachev Independence Movements in the Baltic Republics The Establishment of Civil Society Groups in the USSR: Further Empirical Indicators Conclusion 4: Actors and Activities in Post-Soviet Civil Society The "NGOization" of Civil Society in Post-Communist Russia and the Baltic States Civil Society Sectors Civil Society Activists Resource Mobilization Civil Society Activities Civil Society in Three Russian Regions Conclusion 5: Civil Society, the State, and Other Arenas: Conflict,Cooperation, and Unclear Boundaries Civil Society and the State in Russia Political Opportunities and Political Influence State-Civil Society Relations in Three Russian Regions Civil Society and Political Society Civil Society and Economic Society Conclusion 6: The Transnationalization of Local Civil Society Transnational Funding Transnational Networking Conclusion 7: Civil Society and Democratization: A Multilevel Analysis The Development of Post-Soviet Civil Society Qualitative and Quantitative Indicators of Democracy Civil Society and Democratization Three Models of Civil Society and Democracy Conclusion