Changing And Unchanging Face Of U S Civil Society

"Ray has written a book that should be read by anyone interested in the current debates about the general health of civil society in the United States.--American Journal of Sociology The formation, maintenance, and well being of American civil society is a topic of intense debate in the social sciences. Until now, this debate has lacked rigor, with the term ""civil society"" commonly used interchangeably and imprecisely with other terms such as civic engagement. Today's discourse also lacks methodological discipline and relies too heavily on narrowly selected evidence in support of a particular argument. In this invaluable contribution to the debate, Marcella Ridlen Ray supplies an empirical study based on a theoretical model of democratic civil society, one that posits high levels of communication, diversity, autonomy, mediation, and voluntary association. In Ray's account, the emergent story of U.S. civil society is that of a dynamic institution, not necessarily one that is linear in its progression. It is a tale of flux, resilience, and stability over the long term that is consistent with subtexts on political equilibrium she notes in the work of early political analysts such as Aristotle, Machiavelli, Locke, Burke, and, later, Tocqueville. Ray dispels the widely accepted myth that Americans are increasingly apathetic and withdrawn from common interests. The evidence reveals a persistence of long-standing public spiritedness, despite the fact that individuals use wider discretion in deciding if and how to attach to community and despite a historical lack of enthusiasm for performing civic duties in lieu of more pleasurable leisure activity. This public-spiritedness continues to reflect embedded religious-cultural values that disproportionately influence how and when people dedicate time and money to associational life. U. S. civil society has grown more inclusive and democratic as Americans venture, at growing rates, across differences in perspective, "

Civil Society has become a standard work of reference for those who seek to understand the role of voluntary citizen action. Recent global unrest has shown the importance of social movements and street protests in world politics. However, as this lucid book shows, the power that people have to shape their societies is usually channeled through day-to-day participation in voluntary associations and communities: expressions of “normal” civic life beyond the headlines. This is the underlying story of civil society. This new edition explores issues that have developed rapidly in recent years, including the overlaps between civil society and the market in the form of social enterprises and “venture philanthropy,” and the increasing role of social media and information and communication technologies in civic interaction. Different varieties of civil society in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere are investigated in more detail, and case studies, data, and references have been updated throughout. Colleges, foundations and NGOs, policy-makers, journalists and commissions of inquiry Ð all have used Edwards’s book to understand and strengthen the vital role that civil society can play in deepening democracy, re-building community, and addressing inequality and injustice. This new edition will be required reading for anyone who is interested in creating a better world through voluntary citizen action.

Seymour Martin Lipset's work throughout a long and distinguished career has been stamped by several features: a powerful linkage of research data and social theory, innovative views of historical events, and a realization that politics is an activity native to all human beings, voters and non-voters, democratic and non-democratic systems, and advanced and developing economies. He has earned the right to be called a genuine pioneer in the field now recognized as political sociology. In this special collection of professional comment and personal tribute, some of Lipset's closest colleagues have gathered to review his life work in political sociology. This volume includes essays on sociology and socialism, the collapse of class politics, political leadership, the perpetuation of inequality across generations, political extremism, religion as a source of polarization, working-class authoritarianism, and an examination of civil life in the United States across the century. Among the contributors are Nathan Glazer, Terry Nichols Clark, Richard J. Samuels, Sidney Verba, Nancy Burns, Kay Lehman Schlozman, Robert B. Smith, William Schneider, Dick Houtman, and Marcella Ridlen Ray. The volume is further graced by two special features: an academic memoir entitled "Steady Work" written by Lipset, and a full-scale bibliography of his books, monographs and pamphlets. In short, this is a specialist volume for social scientists that can be easily enjoyed by readers outside the field. This volume was initially presented as a double issue of The American Sociologist. Horowitz was commissioned by the editor of the journal to serve as special editor for the volume. In turn, the contributions originated at a series of invited panels at the Eastern Sociological Society meetings in 2002.

In the wake of Robert Putnam's bestselling book "Bowling Alone," media and popular opinion often contend that American society is losing its cohesion. In an era of culture wars, deep political divisions, and all-consuming household technologies, are we losing our connections with one another? Is American society falling apart?Not according to this new book, which draws upon two renowned national surveys to reveal a very different picture. Jones' poignant study of social capital in America explores current trends encompassing family life, work, social networks, and more. He is able to show surprising correlations: those who most use the internet are more likely to participate in voluntary organizations; etc. In lively prose with easy-to-read charts, Jones counters the prevailing myths of American Society by confronting them with the voices of Americans, their attitudes and behaviors, and the facts of their daily lives.

This SIOP Organizational Frontiers volume will be one of the first to show how the field of Industrial Organizational psychology can help address societal concerns, and help focus research on the greater good of society. Contributions from worldwide experts showcase the power the IO community has to foster, promote and encourage pro social efforts. Also included will be commentary from an eminent group of IO psychologists who give invaluable insights into the history and the future of IO psychology . By presenting the prosocial contributions, from personal satisfaction and career commitment to organizational effectiveness to societal development, the imperative and easibility of using I-O psychology for the greater good becomes increasingly compelling.

While textbooks often describe an idealized model of "how a bill becomes law" and journalists emphasize special interest lobbying and generous campaign contributions to Congress, these approaches fail to convey -- much less explain -- the tremendous diversity in political processes that shape specific policies in contemporary Washington. Pathways of Power provides a framework that integrates the roles of political interests and policy ideals in the contemporary policy process. This book argues that the policy process can be understood as a set of four distinctive pathways of policymaking -- pluralist, partisan, expert, and symbolic -- that draw upon different political resources, appeal to different political actors, and elicit unique strategies and styles of coalition building. The book's use of a wide universe of major policy decisions provides a useful foundation for students of the policy process as well as for policy practitioners eager to learn more about their craft.

In this study on democracy and democratic systems, two scholars offer an expansive view of democratic systems and explain why democracy has succeeded in some countries and has failed in others.