Civil Society, Democratic Space, and Social Work

Abstract

Civil Society envisages the growth of civilization in a way that the society is in “civilized form.” It has been prominent in Social science since time immemorial. Till 18th century, it was synonymous with the state or political society. It was more or less direct translation of Cicero’s Societas’ Civilis and Aristotle’s Koinonia politike. According to Karl Marx, “Civil Society embraces the whole material intercourse of individuals within a definite stage of development of productive forces.” Civil Society is an arena where modern man legitimately gratifies his self-interest and develops his individuality, but also learns the value of group action, social solidarity which educates him for citizenship and equips him to participate in the political sphere of the state. It provides “networks of civic engagement” within which reciprocity is learned and enforced, trust is generated. An active and diverse civil society plays a valuable role in advancement of democracy. It seeks to ensure that citizen’s interests are taken seriously. The social work intervention may not be democratically envisaged until it is promulgated by civic engagement through Civil Society. Methodology: This is a descriptive study which consists of secondary source of data collection based on reports, books, periodic journals, web-based articles. There have been utilized three case studies for reaching the findings of study. This article will highlight on role of civil society in providing democratic space and assisting social workers to ensure inclusive growth through conglomeration of state and individuals.

Promoting Social Justice through Philantropy: Women`s Activism as Civil Society (A Reflection on the Emergence of Yayasan Sahabat Ibu in Yogyakarta)

“…From there then the three activists were moved to help earthquake victims, especially women and children. These activities are part of civil society that seeks to distribute resources to the needy [9].…”

“…Civil society includes various voluntary organizations, philanthropic institutions, socio-political movements, public spaces, social networks and community involvement in politics and patterns of behavior of groups of a certain value [8]. Civil society plays an important role in promoting development [9], advancing public sphere and forums of public [10] and generating the participation of citizen [11]. At the local level, civil society and non-profit organizations are part of community development and empowerment strategies [8].…”

Hak Dan Kewajiban Sebagai Dasar Nilai Intrinsik Warga Negara Dalam Membentuk Masyarakat Sipil

“…Masyarakat sipil dalam pengertian ini adalah sebuah arena di mana manusia modern tidak hanya secara sah memuaskan kepentingannya sendiri dan mengembangkan individualitasnya, tetapi juga mempelajari nilai aksi kelompok, solidaritas sosial, dan ketergantungan kesejahteraannya pada orang lain, yang mendidiknya untuk kewarganegaraan dan mempersiapkannya untuk berpartisipasi dalam arena politik negara. 29 Konsep modern masyarakat sipil perlu memiliki dimensi moral, normatif yang jelas. Nilai-nilai moral dalam hal ini dapat berupa kejujuran, keadilan, keikhlasan, dan tanggung jawab.…”

Civil Society in Context of a Legal Temperament: Is the Watchdog a Capable Person?

“…A Marxist view is provided in Jaysawal (2013) which holds that civil society as not only embodying commercial institutions but also classes, corporations related with social, religious, professional life, welfare agencies, educational and training institutes concerned with civic purpose. Connelly & Hayward (2012:41) suggest that civil society is an arena in which modern man legitimately gratifies his self-inters and develops his individuality, but also learns the value of group action, social solidarity and the dependence of his welfare on others.…”