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OverviewMuch has been written about how civil society challenges authoritarian governments and helps lead the way to democratization. These studies show that neoliberal economic policies have harmed many sectors of society, weakening the state and undermining clientelistic relationships that previously provided material benefits to middle- and low-income citizens, who are then motivated to organize coalitions to work for greater social justice and equality. Recognizing this important role played by civil society organizations, Jon Shefner goes further and analyzes the variegated nature of the interests represented in these coalitions, arguing that the differences among civil society actors are at least as important as their similarities in explaining how they function and what success, or lack thereof, they have experienced. Through an ethnographic examination extending over a decade, Shefner tells the story of how a poor community on the urban fringe of Guadalajara mobilized through an organization called the Union de Colonos Independientes (UCI) to work for economic improvement with the support of Jesuits inspired by liberation theology. Yet Mexico's successful formal democratic transition, won with the elections in 2000, was followed by the dissolution of the coalition. Neither political access for the urban poor, nor their material well-being, has increased with democratization. The unity and even the concept of civil society has thus turned out to be an illusion. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Jon Shefner (University of Tennesse-Knoxville)Publisher: Pennsylvania State University Press Imprint: Pennsylvania State University Press Dimensions: Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.70cm , Length: 22.90cm Weight: 0.358kg ISBN: 9780271033853ISBN 10: 0271033851 Pages: 240 Publication Date: 15 June 2012 Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly , Professional & Vocational Format: Paperback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: Manufactured on demand  We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier. Table of ContentsReviewsThis volume is a finely wrought piece of scholarship that will appeal not only to students of civil society but also to scholars (and critics) of neo-liberalism, globalization, democratization, patron-client relations, and urban transformation in Latin America and other parts of the global south. Ebenezer Obadare, Contemporary Sociology Author InformationJon Shefner is Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the Interdisciplinary Program in Global Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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