Civil Society, the Third Sector and Social Enterprise : Governance and Democracy

International audienceCivil society organizations are playing a key role in addressing global societal and ecological issues, often setting the agenda for public discourse. Therefore, at a time when they are becoming more varied and interwoven than ever, critical analysis of the governance of these organizations and networks, and their role in a democratic society, is particularly important. This book addresses these challenges by revisiting concepts of citizenship, public participation, democratic exchange of ideas, markets, co-construction and co-production of public services, and alternative political ideologies. The first part of the book focuses on internal governance and the economic dimensions of civil society organizations and analyzes the growing role of management models. The second part addresses the institutional dimensions and focuses public spaces and the capacity of civil society organizations to resist, collaborate and negotiate with the state. This book is unique in bringing together different visions and perspectives on civil society governance for the first time and will be of interest to an international audience of researchers and policy-makers