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<:;:urrent sociological literature on social capital has examined the issue of the role of voluntary organizations in the development of social capital primarily at the individual level of analysis, notably the work of Bourdieu, Coleman, and Portes and Sensenbrenner. This has been closely linked with sociological work in community studies and civil society, particularly as it relates to community action and development, particularly through the work of Wilkinson, Flora and Flora, and Tilly. But sociological literature has paid little attention to the role of

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Civil society theory tends to posit that civil society is normatively positive; in its ideal form, civil society is functional in character. Additionally, civil society is assumed to have ameliorative effects on inequality and stratification, however, much of the existing civil society literature does not address the converse relationship of how social inequality might affect civil society. It was hypothesized that social inequality related to class, race, gender, and age would lead to differences in attitudes towards and structural conditions related to access to and inclusion in civil society, as well as to actual participation in civil society on the part of residents. These hypotheses were tested using cross-tabulation comparisons of data taken from a 2004 survey of residents in 99 Iowa communities, and then examined further using Lazarsfeld's elaboration model, utilizing additional test variables. Findings indicated that social class, race, and to a lesser extent, age, continue to play a significant role in actual access to and inclusion in civil society, as well as personal participation in civil society. Contrary to theoretical expectations, gender did not apparently play a significant role in civil society activity in this study. Little support was indicated for a defining role of attitudinal measures of civil society inclusion, access, and participation. 1 Gramsci's view of the State is perhaps more telling than that of civil society; he viewed the latter as a direct instrument of the former. What we might consider "civil society" today, it is likely Gramsci would view it as the complementary social form to the State "as veilleur de nuit" or "nightwatchman"-a somewhat sarcastic reference to the State having only a guardian role in the processes of society, and representing no particular controlling interest.