Civil Society

<p>Between kinship ties on the one hand and the state on the other human beings experience a diversity of social relationships and groupings which in modern western thought have come to be gathered under the label 'civil society'. A liberal-individualist model of civil society has become fashionable in recent years but what can such a term mean in the late twentieth century?<br><em>Civil Society</em> argues that civil society should not be studied as a separate 'private' realm clearly separated in opposition to the state; nor should it be confined to the institutions of the 'voluntary' or 'non-governmental' sector. A broader understanding of civil society involves the investigation of everyday social practices often elusive power relations and the shared moralities that hold communities together. By drawing on case materials from a range of contemporary societies including the US Britain four of the former Communist countries of Eastern Europe Turkey and the Middle and Far East <em>Civil Society</em> demonstrates what anthropology contributes to debates taking place throughout the social sciences; adding up to an exciting renewal of the agenda for political anthropology.</p>