The East/West perspective and civil society:Making visible similarities and differences

Carver, Terrell and Chiba, Shin and Matsumoto, Reiji and Martin, James and Jessop, Bob and Iida, Fumio and Sugita, Atsushi (2010) The East/West perspective and civil society:Making visible similarities and differences. In: Globality, Democracy and Civil Society. Routledge, London, pp. 24-30. ISBN 0203839935

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Abstract

This chapter 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 differentlyunderstood 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:
Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings
Additional Information:
Reprint of peer-reviewed journal article published in 2000 in European Journal of Political Research, vol. 37, pp. 541-555
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3300
Subjects:
?? CIVIL SOCIETYJAPANCONCEPTUAL HISTORYTRANSLATIONPOLITICAL IMAGINARYSOCIAL SCIENCES(ALL) ??
ID Code:
128643
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
08 Nov 2018 11:38
Refereed?:
No
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
17 Sep 2023 04:02