Recently the topic of civil society has generated a wave of interest, and a wealth of new information. Until now no publication has attempted to organize and consolidate this knowledge. The International Encyclopedia of Civil Society fills this gap, establishing a common set of understandings and terminology, and an analytical starting point for future research. Global in scope and authoritative in content, the Encyclopedia offers succinct summaries of core concepts and theories; definitions of terms; biographical entries on important figures and organizational profiles. In addition, it serves as a reliable and up-to-date guide to additional sources of information. In sum, the Encyclopedia provides an overview of the contours of civil society, social capital, philanthropy and nonprofits across cultures and historical periods. For researchers in nonprofit and civil society studies, political science, economics, management and social enterprise, this is the most systematic appraisal of a rapidly growing field.

Recently the topic of civil society has generated a wave of interest, and a wealth of new information. Until now no publication has attempted to organize and consolidate this knowledge. The International Encyclopedia of Civil Society fills this gap, establishing a common set of understandings and terminology, and an analytical starting point for future research. Global in scope and authoritative in content, the Encyclopedia offers succinct summaries of core concepts and theories; definitions of terms; biographical entries on important figures and organizational profiles. In addition, it serves as a reliable and up-to-date guide to additional sources of information. In sum, the Encyclopedia provides an overview of the contours of civil society, social capital, philanthropy and nonprofits across cultures and historical periods. For researchers in nonprofit and civil society studies, political science, economics, management and social enterprise, this is the most systematic appraisal of a rapidly growing field.

Developed in partnership with the International Political Science Association this must-have, authoritative political science resource, in eight volumes, provides a definitive picture of all aspects of political life.

"With all entries followed by cross-references and further reading lists, this current resource is ideal for high school and college students looking for connecting ideas and additional sources on them. The work brings together the many facets of global studies into a solid reference tool and will help those developing and articulating an ideological perspective." — Library Journal The Encyclopedia of Global Studies is the reference work for the emerging field of global studies. It covers both transnational topics and intellectual approaches to the study of global themes, including the globalization of economies and technologies; the diaspora of cultures and dispersion of peoples; the transnational aspects of social and political change; the global impact of environmental, technological, and health changes; and the organizations and issues related to global civil society. Key Themes: • Global civil society • Global communications, transportation, technology • Global conflict and security • Global culture, media • Global demographic change • Global economic issues • Global environmental and energy issues • Global governance and world order • Global health and nutrition • Global historical antecedents • Global justice and legal issues • Global religions, beliefs, ideologies • Global studies • Identities in global society Readership: Students and academics in the fields of politics and international relations, international business, geography and environmental studies, sociology and cultural studies, and health.

The war in Iraq brought global politics into the living rooms of ordinary people around the world in 2003-4. This defining event, which influenced the domestic agenda in many countries, may change the way people perceive power and the politics of power. The Global Civil Society Yearbook shows how those perceptions can be shaped by the huge diversity of individuals, movements, NGOs, networks - and the ideas and values they represent - acting across borders and beyond national politics. Now in its fourth year of publication, the Global Civil Society Yearbook is the standard work on the topic, essential reading for social and political scientists, activists, students, journalists and policy makers. Global Civil Society 2004/5 adopts an unorthodox approach to major geo-political issues including oil, the Middle East and democracy. Yahia Said examines oil and activism, Mohamed el Said-Sayed explores Middle Eastern perspectives, and Heba Raouf Ezzat outlines a new multicultural approach to global civil society. The emergence of what Mary Kaldor calls ′a new kind of global politics′ has implications for sovereignty and democracy, which Global Civil Society 2004/5 tackles head-on. Hilary Wainwright identifies the conditions in which global civil society can strengthen and reinvigorate local democracy. In contrast, Kenneth Anderson and David Rieff question global civil society′s claim to represent world opinion, arguing that the hotchpotch of environmental groups, feminist networks and human rights activists are merely undemocratic and unaccountable ′social movement missionaries.′ Global Civil Society 2004-5 includes a wealth of data on globalisation, the rule of law, NGO growth, values and attitudes, governance, civil liberties and a chronology of the myriad protests, conferences and campaigns that are the sinews of global civil society. "Global Civil Society 2002 was a gripping read. Global Civil Society 2003 was stimulating, informative and authoritative. I am delighted to recommend this series, which fills an important gap in research on globalisation." Anthony Giddens "One of the great unreported events of the last decade has been the total explosion of nongovernment organisations in developing countries of the world. While I was shaving the other day, I looked in the mirror and thought, "Wow, I am an NGO!" I have always been interested in this, but I am more interested since I discovered I was one. And that′s why I′d recommend this Yearbook." Bill Clinton

Civil Society has become a standard work of reference for those who seek to understand the role of voluntary citizen action. Recent global unrest has shown the importance of social movements and street protests in world politics. However, as this lucid book shows, the power that people have to shape their societies is usually channeled through day-to-day participation in voluntary associations and communities: expressions of “normal” civic life beyond the headlines. This is the underlying story of civil society. This new edition explores issues that have developed rapidly in recent years, including the overlaps between civil society and the market in the form of social enterprises and “venture philanthropy,” and the increasing role of social media and information and communication technologies in civic interaction. Different varieties of civil society in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere are investigated in more detail, and case studies, data, and references have been updated throughout. Colleges, foundations and NGOs, policy-makers, journalists and commissions of inquiry Ð all have used Edwards’s book to understand and strengthen the vital role that civil society can play in deepening democracy, re-building community, and addressing inequality and injustice. This new edition will be required reading for anyone who is interested in creating a better world through voluntary citizen action.

This Encyclopedia is the first attempt in a generation to map the social and behavioral sciences on a grand scale. Not since the publication in 1968 of the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, edited by David L. Sills, has there been such an ambitious project to describe the state of the art in all the fields encompassed within the social and behavioral sciences. Available in both print (26 volumes) and online editions, it comprises 4,000 articles, commissioned by 52 Section Editors, and includes 90,000 bibliographic references as well as comprehensive name and subject indexes.