Carver, Terrell and Chiba, Shin and Matsumoto, Reiji and Martin, James and Jessop, Bob and Iida, Fumio and Sugita, Atsushi (2000) `Civil society' in Japanese politics: Implications for contemporary political research. European Journal of Political Research, 37 (4). pp. 541-555. ISSN 0304-4130
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
This article presents a definitional and historicalsummary of `civil society' as a western concept, andthen traces how it was used in Japanese politicaltheory and practice. `Civil society' discourse becamea familiar term amongst post-war Japanese historiansand social scientists in the period 1945–1970, andthus preceded the recent international proliferationof `civil society' literature in the `west' from the1970s onwards. `Civil society' discourse waspoliticised in practice in Japan in the 1950s and1960s, principally in opposition movements wanting toencourage political participation by ordinarycitizens. While some `civil society' discourse inJapan was based on an idealisation of `western' ideasand practice, it is also the case that theindividualism and democratisation implied in `civilsociety' discourse has been very differently understood in `western' countries and very unevenlyinstituted in their political practice. A simpleEast–West frame makes significant similaritiesbetween Japanese ideas and practice and `western'concepts and politics disappear, and additionallycauses significant differences within the `west'regarding individualism and democratisation to becomeinvisible.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Journal or Publication Title: | European Journal of Political Research |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HM Sociology |
| Departments: | Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences > Sociology Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences |
| ID Code: | 19153 |
| Deposited By: | Mrs Yaling Zhang |
| Deposited On: | 24 Oct 2008 13:50 |
| Refereed?: | Yes |
| Published?: | Published |
| Last Modified: | 26 Jul 2012 15:26 |
| Identification Number: | |
| URI: | http://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/19153 |
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