Civil Society, Democracy and Civic Renewal FROM THE PUBLISHER
Civil society is receiving renewed attention from academics, politicians, journalists, community leaders, and participants in the voluntary sector. Civil Society, Democracy, and Civic Renewal brings together several of America's leading scholars of history, sociology, political science, and philosophyI to explore the meaning of civil society, its positive and negative effects, its relation to government, and its contribution to democracy. The chapters range widely, taking up the connection between social trust and civic renewal, the role of citizen councils in environmental decision making, the growth of self-help groups and their impact on community, historical patterns of civic activity by women and African Americans, and the place of expertise in public deliberation on scientific and medical issues. By examining the many disparate views of the civil society debate, this important volume will contribute to the process of civic renewal.
FROM THE CRITICS
Booknews
Seventeen essays, produced for the National Commission on Civic Renewal, written by members of the Commission's Working Group on Civil Society and the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy. The articles explore a number of issues raised by the American conception of civil society and its current manifestation. Specific discussions include treatments of the ramifications of church/state separation for the richness of civilian associations, social movements as hitherto unrecognized shapers of political opinion, and the connection between official political structures and the character of civil society institutions. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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