Session 178: Roundtable: Civil Society and Political Change in Asia

Organizer and Chair: Muthiah Alagappa, East-West Center

Discussants: Neil Devotta, Hartwick College; Mary E. Gallagher, University of Michigan; Aquil Shah, Columbia University; Meredith Weiss, DePaul University

Participants in this roundtable will present their findings from a three-year research project that investigated the existence and nature of civil societies in Asia, and the roles of groups organizing in the nonstate public realm in advancing (or retarding) democratic change in twelve Asian countries.

Contrary to the claim that the idea of civil society is alien to Asian cultures, participants will argue that civil society organizations not only exist in Asia but also have experienced dramatic growth. However, civil societies in Asia vary widely, displaying features of both the neo-Tocquevillean and neo-Gramscian frames. Further, the dramatic growth in the number of civil society organizations has not been accompanied by the institutionalization of the nonstate public sphere. And, civil society in Asia has been viewed largely in instrumental terms to bring about or prevent political change in the state; it is less commonly viewed as an autonomous arena for self-governance.

On the connection between civil society and democracy, participants will argue that there is no necessary connection between the two. Civil society organizations have both expanded and contracted democratic space. Civil society is supportive of democracy when the balance of power favors democratically inclined groups and the dominant discourse in civil society is rooted in democratic ideals. Even then the democratic roles of civil society organizations are contingent on a number of factors. Further, civil society is a necessary but not sufficient condition for democratic development.

Participants in the roundtable will discuss Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and China with Muthiah Alagappa providing a comparative perspective.