Overview

This book fills a significant gap in the extensive literature on autocratisation by offering theorisation of authoritarian institutional landscapes beyond partisan and formal institutions in light of novel empirical evidence. Focusing on Turkey, one of the most cited contemporary cases of autocratisation, this book documents the multifaceted transformation of civil society through the parallel mechanisms of cooptation, repression and contestation. Despite incessant attempts at taming through repression and controlling through cooptation, 'tactful contention'-a blend of vigorous advocacy, non-violent protests, occupations, campaigns, digital activism, and democratic innovations- is non-negligible within civil society. This book offers a profound understanding of civil society's role as both a target and catalyst in autocratisation, essential for anyone interested in contemporary authoritarian trends and democratic resilience.

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9781399522366

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Reviews

Given the current wave of autocratising regimes, this is an important book for understanding what civil society is and what it still can do in countries moving away from democracy. In Turkey, where the government has coopted and repressed civil society, the author examines what remains autonomous and what works to contest antidemocratic forces. She identifies a variety of innovative, non-hierarchical, collaborative, off-street mobilisation practices as change agents that politicise everyday life and make us rethink the definition and practice of civil society.--Jenny White, Stockholm University Institute for Turkish Studies Civil Society and Autocratisation challenges the notion of civil society as an inherently democratic force instead framing it as a contested space that states (authoritarian or not) actively manipulate to consolidate power. Bilge Yabancı's research on civil society's dual role--as both an instrument of control and a site of resistance -- provides essential insights into the dynamics of power with implications that extend far beyond the case of Turkey.--Kerem Öktem, University of Venice

Civil Society and Autocratisation challenges the notion of civil society as an inherently democratic force instead framing it as a contested space that states (authoritarian or not) actively manipulate to consolidate power. Bilge Yabancı’s research on civil society’s dual role—as both an instrument of control and a site of resistance — provides essential insights into the dynamics of power with implications that extend far beyond the case of Turkey. -- Kerem Öktem, University of Venice Given the current wave of autocratising regimes, this is an important book for understanding what civil society is and what it still can do in countries moving away from democracy. In Turkey, where the government has coopted and repressed civil society, the author examines what remains autonomous and what works to contest antidemocratic forces. She identifies a variety of innovative, non-hierarchical, collaborative, off-street mobilisation practices as change agents that politicise everyday life and make us rethink the definition and practice of civil society. -- Jenny White, Stockholm University Institute for Turkish Studies

Author Information

Dr. Bilge Yabanci holds a dual appointment at Deusto University (Spain) as an assistant professor of research funded by the Ikerbasque Foundation of the Basque Government and as a Ramón y Cajal Fellow funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation. Previously, she was a Marie Curie Global Fellow at Northwestern University (USA) and Ca' Foscari University of Venice (Italy), an Open Society Fellow in the Human Rights Cohort, and a Swedish Institute Postdoctoral Fellow. Dr. Yabanci's research focuses on social movements and the transformation of civil society and civic space under autocratization. Her previous work also explores populism, the interplay between populism, religion, and nationalism, and the role of emotions and performance in political mobilisation. In her current research program, Dr Yabanci examines social marginalisation to explore potential pathways for attitudinal and behavioural shifts towards stigmatised and vulnerable groups, including refugees and asylum seekers. Her articles have been published in leading journals such as Government and Opposition, Journal of Civil Society, Ethnopolitics, British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, Politics, Religion & Ideology, Southeast Europe and Black Sea Studies, Religion, State and Society, and International Spectator.

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