civil society
Citizens organized independently
Civil society refers to the network of organizations and associations that exist between the individual and the state—charities, advocacy groups, religious institutions, professional associations, community organizations.
It's the realm of voluntary collective action outside government and commercial enterprise: A healthy civil society provides checks on state power.
The term appears frequently in political discourse about democracy and civic participation.
Organization serving public good
- NGOIndependent charitable organization
- foundationUnderlying support structure
- associationGroup with shared aim
- charityVoluntary aid for others
advocacy group · think tank · cooperative · union · federation · coalition · network · guild
Coexistence of differing views
- toleranceWillingness to accept difference
- solidarityUnity among allies
- cooperationJoint action toward shared aims
- transparencyState of being see-through
accountability · autonomy · trust · reciprocity · common good · public interest · social capital · empowerment
Public expression of disapproval
- advocacyPleading for a cause
- campaignOrganized effort toward goal
- demonstrationPublic display of opinion
- marchRhythmic group walk
rally · petition · boycott · strike · lobbying · resistance · movement · reform
Voluntary aid for others
- donationVoluntary charitable gift
- endowmentPermanent donated fund
- grantmakingDistributing charitable funds
- foundationUnderlying support structure
fundraising · benefactor · giving · patronage · bequest · pledge · donor · humanitarian aid
Commitment to wed or attend
- volunteerismUnpaid community assistance
- votingFormally registering a choice
- community serviceUnpaid labor benefiting society
- public forumSpace for collective discourse
town hall · deliberation · consultation · dialogue · outreach · inclusion · citizen journalism · crowdsourcing
nonprofit
Organization serving public good
- NGOIndependent charitable organization
- foundationUnderlying support structure
- associationGroup with shared aim
charity · advocacy group · think tank · cooperative · union · federation · coalition · network · guild · professional association
pluralism
Coexistence of differing views
- toleranceWillingness to accept difference
- solidarityUnity among allies
- cooperationJoint action toward shared aims
transparency · accountability · autonomy · trust · reciprocity · common good · public interest · social capital · empowerment · self-governance
protest
Public expression of disapproval
- advocacyPleading for a cause
- campaignOrganized effort toward goal
- demonstrationPublic display of opinion
march · rally · petition · boycott · strike · lobbying · resistance · movement · reform · solidarity
charity
Voluntary aid for others
- donationVoluntary charitable gift
- endowmentPermanent donated fund
- grantmakingDistributing charitable funds
foundation · fundraising · benefactor · giving · patronage · bequest · pledge · donor · humanitarian aid · relief
engagement
Commitment to wed or attend
- volunteerismUnpaid community assistance
- votingFormally registering a choice
- community serviceUnpaid labor benefiting society
public forum · town hall · deliberation · consultation · dialogue · outreach · inclusion · citizen journalism · crowdsourcing · public comment
- Gramscihegemony, cultural hegemony, subaltern, common sense, good sense
- groupsteam, teams, group, club, clubs
- Eastern EuropePoland, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria
- social sciencessociology, anthropology, psychology, economics, political science
- social systemspolitical systems, capitalism, feudalism, economic systems, legal systems
- communityneighbors, neighborliness, neighborhoods, kinship, community centers
civil societygovernment
Authority over a state
state apparatus · sovereign power · authoritarianism · totalitarianism · police state
civil societyanomie
Breakdown of shared standards
private sphere · individualism · atomization · failed state · domestic sphere
society, civil, civic, civilian, socialism, civilized, civilization, socialist, socialize