Synopses & Reviews
Using case studies from sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, and including such critical countries as South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, and Egypt, Civil Society focuses on the processes and politics of dismantling "corporate" (state directed) economies in the Third World in order to move toward civil societies of free associability and democracy. The book presents a number of significant findings and recommendations, for example: Civil society plays an emerging role in East Asia and Latin America but is still weak in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. No one model of development fits all countries. It is imperative to recognize and accommodate indigenous aspects of civil society in development. Corporatism will remain especially important in countries at a middle level of development as they make the transition from authoritarianism to democracy.
Synopsis
This book is designed as a textbook in the new, mushrooming course on civil society, and as a supplemental text in a variety of courses dealing with development, democracy, the Third World, and foreign policy.
About the Author
Howard J. Wiarda is Dean Rusk Professor of International Relations and head of the Department of International Affairs at the University of Georgia, and Senior Scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. He is la member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the author or editor of numerous Westview books including An Introduction to Latin American Politics and Development (with Harvey Kline) and Civil Society: The American Model and Third World Development.