Measuring Civil Society: Perspectives on Afro-Centrism
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- 作者：Alan Fowler (1) alanfowler@compuserve.com
- 关键词：Civil society – ; Civic agency – ; Endogenous research – ; Measurement
- 刊名：Voluntas ; International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations
- 出版时间：March 2012
- 出版年：2012
- 期刊代码：119_09578765
- 类别：bio
- 卷：23
- 期：1
- 页码：5-25
- 数据来源：sp
摘要
International comparative research on civil society has subordinated Africa’s diversity and specificities to other geographies and histories. Results are prejudiced global conceptualisations, questionable enumeration, problematic theory formulation and ill-conceived approaches to development initiatives intended to make African civil society ‘stronger’ and states more democratic. This article sets out a case for an endogenous approach to civil society enquiry as a political category sensitive to the continent’s particularisms. In order to locate discussion about meanings, measures and measuring, a conceptual framework for research is described which avoids conflation with other epistemologies. Such a contribution will assist in sharpening thinking and discussion about the boundary characteristics of what is to be investigated.