The Multiple Faces of Civil Society: Development and Democratization in Rajasthan, India

Abstract

This thesis examines how non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as part of civil society, contribute towards democratization in Rajasthan, India and what conditions facilitate or inhibit their contribution. On the basis of qualitative analysis and comparative case studies of three developmental NGOs that work among the tribal communities in the socio-historical context of south Rajasthan, the study assesses three different kinds of politics within civil society b liberal pluralist, neo-Marxist, and communitarian b which have had different implications in relation to democratization. Based on these three cases, the thesis concludes that civil society is not necessarily a democratizing force; it can have contradictory consequences in relation to democratization. The democratic effect of civil society is not a result of the b stock of social capitalb in the community but is contingent upon the kinds of ideologies and interests that are present or ascendant not just within civil society but also within the state. The study, thus, presents a nuanced understanding of civil societyb s capacity to influence democratization in the developing world.