This book provides an accessible account of popular political, social and economic movements in the Third World. Focusing on poor and marginalized groups within developing countries, it shows how these groups have been stimulated into action by recent demands for political and economic change. Haynes describes the growing interest in democratic change in the Third World during the 1980s and 1990s, and argues that demands for democracy, human rights and economic change were a widespread catalyst for the emergence of hundreds of thousands of popular movements in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Sometimes these took the form of demands for more political representation and greater economic development; others were concerned with environmental protection, the broad position of women and the establishment of Islamic states and societies. Haynes argues that these emerging popular organizations are best regarded as building blocks of civil society that, in time, will enhance the democratic nature of many political environments in the Third World. The book will be welcomed by students and researchers in development studies, politics and sociology.

Provides an account of popular political, social and economic movements in developing countries during the 1980's and 1990's.

Civil Society focuses on the processes and politics of dismantling "corporate" (state directed) economies and political systems in the Third World. Howard Wiarda explores how this separation would create a move toward civil societies of free associability and democracy, as well as the limits to and pitfalls of this approach. The book examines case studies from sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, and includes such critical countries as South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, and Egypt.

Essay from the year 2008 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: Development Politics, grade: 1,0, Stockholm University, language: English, abstract: In this course report I will focus on the relationship between civil society and democracy on the national and global level. The discussion is based upon the hypothesis that civil society can only constitute itself and act within democratic structures and will address the problem of the civil society in failed states which is not able to facilitate democratization there due to a lack of statehood and on the global level where democratic structures can’t be found. In the last ten to fifteen years, accompanied by the contemporary issue of globalisation and several civil movements in the late 1970s and early 1980s, there has been an increasing interest and body of literature related to the term of “civil society”. Civil society develops and acts within a certain context and environment. Because of that, concepts of civil society facilitating democracy can’t be applied on developing countries in general but have to take into account the level of statehood and existing democratic structures in which civil society acts. It is not all about the structure of civil society but also about the existing level of statehood.

This is an in-depth analysis of the factors contributing to and those hindering the establishment of democracy in Third World countries. Beginning by looking at the concept of democracy in its various forms and the literature thereof, the text then looks at the Third World specifically, examining the impact of colonial rule and the eclipse of democracy in the years after independance. After considering the exceptional countries in which democracy survived intact, the book goes on to look at the various attempts at transition from authoritarianism to democracy, and at the prospects for democracy in the years ahead. This updated edition incorporates explorations ofthe influences of external forces, the roles of the state and civil society, and the varying trajectories of democratic consolidation (and decay).

This book is a welcome new edition, which completely updates and revises the very popular first edition, Politics and Society in the Third World. Mehran Kamrava has brought the book in line with the major changes in global politics, and the politics and social issues of the developing world. The book examines key issues such as democratisation: civil society organisations and NGOs, 'political society', state collapse, democratic bargains and transition, consolidation and problems of legitimacy, elections, multi-party politics; industrial development; dependency theory and globalisation; the roles of the IMF and the World Bank, the GATT and other multinational institutions; urbanisation; social change; the increasing influence of western values, capital and institutions; urbanisation; social change; the increasing influence of western values, capital and institutions; political culture: its role and impact in newly democratic developing countries; revolution; and gives more examples from Africa, East Asia and rural societies.

This book examines the experience of democracy in developing countries such as Mexico, Zambia, India and Indonesia. The book will be of interest to scholars of Comparative Politics, Third World Politics and Development studies.