Janus-faced activists: the social and political embeddedness of civil society in Niger

Abstract

This article discusses the workings of civil society and its leaders in Niger. Tracing the country's historically sedimented socio-political order, it argues that Niger's civil society is characterized by a twofold embeddedness. Since the introduction of multiparty politics in 1990, the political game in Niger has been exemplified by co-optation, bribery and corruption. These spoils are a central focus for civil society leaders who have become experienced in the political game. Indeed, actors’ social embeddedness in networks of solidarity demands that they capture and redistribute the spoils they receive. At the same time, however, their social and political legitimacy as civil society leaders rests on their ability to avoid becoming entangled in the game, and to avoid accusations of ‘playing politics’. In other words, civil society activists are embedded in the same social and political structures as state bureaucrats and politicians. In this context, civil society activists cannot maintain the moral high ground they often claim to occupy.

An ethnography of public events: Reformulating the extended case method in contemporary social theory

“…In this way, the values and language of contemporary democracy that were highly flagged on the frontstage in press statements, radio debates and television shows (and during interviews) -transparency, good governance, human rights -are primarily appropriated to acquire political legitimacy, and do not signal the development of emancipatory politics per se. The practical norms of political actors in Niger rather include the anticipation of cooptation, bribery, and corruption as spoils of the political game and to be redistributed within social networks afterwards (Schritt, 2019a). Backstage, all social and political actors pursued hidden personal projects to access much sought-after positions on governmental bodies or in the oil industry (Schritt, 2019b).…”