Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 229-243).

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This thesis investigates a new variant of the relationship between society and the states: Government-Owned (or Organized) Non-Governmental Organizations (GONGOs). Past research has typically understood civil society as a means to explain the orientation of groups of citizens towards collective outcomes. For decades, NGOs have been a key component of this relationship between political actors but the systematic study of GONGOs has been widely neglected by research. I used an original dataset collected from an NGO directory developed by the China Development Brief (CDB) that provides information on the functional areas of NGOs, their sources of funding and various organizational facts. These data were used to code a series of concepts that will serve as the basis for an initial systematic study into GONGOs and their relationship with the Chinese government. My theoretical expectations are that the primary predictors of an NGO’s autonomy relate to their functional areas of operation, their age and other geographical factors. I find preliminary support for the effect of an NGO’s age on its autonomy from the state, as well as initial support for the dynamic nature of the relationship between NGOs and the state. I close with a discussion of these findings as well as their implications for future research.

This thesis looks at defiance in civil society and aims to contribute towards a deeper understanding of contestation against regimes that restrict the expansion of the political playing field in sub-Saharan Africa. It also analyses the role of contemporary African activists in these contestations, and examines why some social contestation process are successful and others not. The role of Mozambican activists from aid-supported NGOs in relevant political movements between 2010 and 2015 is a key issue. The first part of the thesis offers a theoretical overview of civil society as contesting actor in Africa and Mozambique, and outlines the construction of concepts of civil society latency, defiance and co-construction through a theoretical framework that draws on the literature on moral economy, social movements, contentious politics, the public sphere, power and competitive authoritarianism. Analysis of two contrasting civil society organisations, the LDH (the League for Human Rights) and UNAC (the Mozambican Peasants' Union), aims to give a better understanding of public spaces for participation and defiance, and to follow the movement of activists from urban areas towards traditional indigenous sectors so as to ensure that vital issues for communities are brought into the public sphere. It also looks at the neutralisation processes suffered by organisations that offer support and/or directly organise contestation of government initiatives and policies that have a negative impact on the population. The case studies draw on research over a period of three years in the city of Maputo and the provinces of Nampula, Cabo Delgado, Tete, Zambezia and Manica. They examine the reasons for contestations around land issues between 2010-2015, focusing on peasants' and NGOs' resistance to the ProSAVANA agrarian development project, and on urban protests against abductions and against the 2012-2015 return to civil war, investigating the role of European donors and government in the near destruction of one of the most well-known NGOs in Africa.

This thesis is an investigation into the Ethiopian Civil Society, with a focus on Muslims’participation and activities. This research is the result of a series of interviews carried on in AddisAbaba during my staying there thank to a scholarship from Pavia University.Chapter One is a general introduction of the study, presenting the object, the methodology anduse of sources as well as the state of the current research of the topics covered by this research.Chapter Two is a framework chapter about Islām in Ethiopia offering an historical perspective aswell as focusing on its characteristics and current developments. Chapter Three deals withEthiopian Civil Society characteristics and with its legal framework. Chapter Four constitutes thecore of this research: in it, I collected the findings of my research describing the presence ofMuslims into Ethiopian Civil Society. I analyzed the activities and characteristics of the differentorganizations and associations that I met in Addis Ababa, their self-representation concerningtheir being related with Islām and their opinions on Muslims’ marginalization and lack of nonpoliticizationin Ethiopia. A set of conclusions constitutes the last section of the thesis.

As the pressures of urban development progressively threaten the preservation of greenfields, it is increasingly understood that sustainable development and smart growth strategies must include the remediation and redevelopment of brownfields. As the support for brownfield redevelopment strengthens, and frameworks for brownfield planning become more prominent at municipal levels, it is important that municipalities not only ensure the proper remediation of old brownfield sites, but also identify a place for civil society within brownfield plans. The legal, financial, social, environmental, and health complexities of redevelopment, as well as the impact of brownfield sites on the community, make civil society involvement an essential component of a successful brownfield strategy. This case-based thesis research examines the role of civil society in brownfield remediation and redevelopment through themes of social capital, social learning and risk perceptions. The two cases studies are former landfill sites; the Rennie Street landfill in Hamilton, Ontario and the Belle Park landfill in Kingston, Ontario. Both cases involved civil society using legal action as a reactive approach to contamination leaching from the respective sites into nearby water bodies. The research was conducted through participant observation, interviews with key stakeholders in the Belle Park and Rennie Street landfill cases, and a comprehensive review of written information. The literature review informed the development of a conceptual framework, which was used to guide the research and the evaluation of results. The thesis reveals examples of civil society bringing awareness to brownfield issues through a reactive strategy, followed by proactive community involvement in brownfield programs. In both cases, civil society’s perceptions of the associated risks informed the reaction to the suspected contamination. The results of the study suggest that the establishment of networks and trust, as well as the reflective process that occurred throughout the legal action contributed to civil society’s ability to influence decision making. It is anticipated that the Rennie Street and Belle Park case studies will highlight for brownfield stakeholders the significance of engaging civil society in municipal brownfield planning. / Thesis (Master, Environmental Studies) -- Queen's University, 2009-04-24 17:18:47.46

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 501-524).

Thesis (MSoc.Sci (Social Research)) -- University of Pretoria, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references.