Russian Civil Society: A Critical Assessment

Russian Civil Society: A Critical Assessment

Author: Alfred B. Evans

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-07-22

Total Pages: 387

ISBN-13: 1317460456

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A vibrant civil society - characterized by the independently organized activity of people as citizens, undirected by state authority - is an essential support for the development of freedom, democracy, and prosperity. Thus it has been one important indicator of the success of post-communist transitions. This volume undertakes a systematic analysis of the development of civil society in post-Soviet Russia. An introduction and two historical chapters provide background, followed by chapters that analyze the Russian context and consider the roles of the media, business, organized crime, the church, the village, and the Putin administration in shaping the terrain of public life. Eight case studies then illustrate the range and depth of actual citizen organizations in various national and local community settings, and a concluding chapter weighs the findings and distills comparisons and conclusions.


Book Synopsis Russian Civil Society: A Critical Assessment by : Alfred B. Evans

Download or read book Russian Civil Society: A Critical Assessment written by Alfred B. Evans and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-07-22 with total page 387 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A vibrant civil society - characterized by the independently organized activity of people as citizens, undirected by state authority - is an essential support for the development of freedom, democracy, and prosperity. Thus it has been one important indicator of the success of post-communist transitions. This volume undertakes a systematic analysis of the development of civil society in post-Soviet Russia. An introduction and two historical chapters provide background, followed by chapters that analyze the Russian context and consider the roles of the media, business, organized crime, the church, the village, and the Putin administration in shaping the terrain of public life. Eight case studies then illustrate the range and depth of actual citizen organizations in various national and local community settings, and a concluding chapter weighs the findings and distills comparisons and conclusions.


Civil Society in Putin's Russia

Civil Society in Putin's Russia

Author: Elena Chebankova

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-03-05

Total Pages: 239

ISBN-13: 1136679952

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Unlike other books on civil society in Russia which argue that Russia’s civil society is relatively weak, and that democratisation in Russia went into reverse following Vladimir Putin’s coming to power, this book contends that civil society in Russia is developing in a distinctive way. It shows that government and elite-led drives to encourage civil society have indeed been limited, and that the impact of external promotion of civil society has also not been very successful. It demonstrates, however, that independent domestic grassroots movements are beginning to flourish, despite difficulties and adverse circumstances, and that this development fits well into the changing nature of contemporary Russian society.


Book Synopsis Civil Society in Putin's Russia by : Elena Chebankova

Download or read book Civil Society in Putin's Russia written by Elena Chebankova and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-03-05 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unlike other books on civil society in Russia which argue that Russia’s civil society is relatively weak, and that democratisation in Russia went into reverse following Vladimir Putin’s coming to power, this book contends that civil society in Russia is developing in a distinctive way. It shows that government and elite-led drives to encourage civil society have indeed been limited, and that the impact of external promotion of civil society has also not been very successful. It demonstrates, however, that independent domestic grassroots movements are beginning to flourish, despite difficulties and adverse circumstances, and that this development fits well into the changing nature of contemporary Russian society.


Civil Society and the Search for Justice in Russia

Civil Society and the Search for Justice in Russia

Author: Christopher Marsh

Publisher: Lexington Books

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 206

ISBN-13: 9780739103593

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

More than a decade has passed since path-breaking policies aimed at liberalizing post-Soviet society were first introduced in Russia. Today, these promises of freedom, equality, and justice remain largely unfulfilled and Russia's political system continues to exhibit signs of the deep-rooted problems that may well retard, if not completely derail, any possibility of future reform. Against this stark background, Civil Society and the Search for Justice in Russia explores the various dimensions of Russia's civil society: the meaning of, and search for, justice; the role of the Orthodox church as a principal unifier in civil society; the need for new freedoms for women and ethnic minorities; and the role of mass education and the free press in inculcating and articulating new civic values. Expertly blending the historical with the theoretical, the recent with the empirical this work offers new insight and analysis into the ability of a nascent Russian civil society to engage effectively with the twenty-first century Russian state to ensure social, religious, and political justice.


Book Synopsis Civil Society and the Search for Justice in Russia by : Christopher Marsh

Download or read book Civil Society and the Search for Justice in Russia written by Christopher Marsh and published by Lexington Books. This book was released on 2002 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: More than a decade has passed since path-breaking policies aimed at liberalizing post-Soviet society were first introduced in Russia. Today, these promises of freedom, equality, and justice remain largely unfulfilled and Russia's political system continues to exhibit signs of the deep-rooted problems that may well retard, if not completely derail, any possibility of future reform. Against this stark background, Civil Society and the Search for Justice in Russia explores the various dimensions of Russia's civil society: the meaning of, and search for, justice; the role of the Orthodox church as a principal unifier in civil society; the need for new freedoms for women and ethnic minorities; and the role of mass education and the free press in inculcating and articulating new civic values. Expertly blending the historical with the theoretical, the recent with the empirical this work offers new insight and analysis into the ability of a nascent Russian civil society to engage effectively with the twenty-first century Russian state to ensure social, religious, and political justice.


Voluntary Associations in Tsarist Russia

Voluntary Associations in Tsarist Russia

Author: Joseph Bradley

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2009-10-30

Total Pages: 385

ISBN-13: 0674053605

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

On the eve of World War I, Russia, not known as a nation of joiners, had thousands of voluntary associations. Joseph Bradley examines the crucial role of voluntary associations in the development of civil society in Russia from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century.


Book Synopsis Voluntary Associations in Tsarist Russia by : Joseph Bradley

Download or read book Voluntary Associations in Tsarist Russia written by Joseph Bradley and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2009-10-30 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On the eve of World War I, Russia, not known as a nation of joiners, had thousands of voluntary associations. Joseph Bradley examines the crucial role of voluntary associations in the development of civil society in Russia from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth century.


Post-Soviet Civil Society

Post-Soviet Civil Society

Author: Anders Uhlin

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2006-03-20

Total Pages: 247

ISBN-13: 1134208073

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The development of civil society has varied greatly across the former Soviet Union. The Baltic states have achieved a high level of integration with the West and European Union membership, while some regions in Russia lag far behind. Now for the first time there is a comparative study of civil society and democratization across post-Soviet national borders. Acknowledging the enormous variation throughout the region, the book offers unique data on developments in Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Applying an innovative analytical framework derived from theories of democratization, civil society, social movements and transnational relations, the researchers have formulated broader comparisons and generalisations without neglecting the specific post-Soviet context. The book provides a systematic comparison across sectors as well as nations, and includes chapters on NGOs, the state and conflict, and transnationalisation. Quantitative survey data is combined with qualitative interviews and case study research to both confirm previous findings about the weakness of post-communist civil society and to qualify previous research.


Book Synopsis Post-Soviet Civil Society by : Anders Uhlin

Download or read book Post-Soviet Civil Society written by Anders Uhlin and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2006-03-20 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The development of civil society has varied greatly across the former Soviet Union. The Baltic states have achieved a high level of integration with the West and European Union membership, while some regions in Russia lag far behind. Now for the first time there is a comparative study of civil society and democratization across post-Soviet national borders. Acknowledging the enormous variation throughout the region, the book offers unique data on developments in Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Applying an innovative analytical framework derived from theories of democratization, civil society, social movements and transnational relations, the researchers have formulated broader comparisons and generalisations without neglecting the specific post-Soviet context. The book provides a systematic comparison across sectors as well as nations, and includes chapters on NGOs, the state and conflict, and transnationalisation. Quantitative survey data is combined with qualitative interviews and case study research to both confirm previous findings about the weakness of post-communist civil society and to qualify previous research.


Media, Culture and Society in Putin's Russia

Media, Culture and Society in Putin's Russia

Author: S. White

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2008-04-09

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13: 0230583075

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

An international collection of papers focused on media, culture and society in postcommunist Russia. Contributors deploy a wealth of primary data in examining the kinds of issues that are central to our understanding of the kind of system that has been established in the world's largest country after a period of far-reaching change.


Book Synopsis Media, Culture and Society in Putin's Russia by : S. White

Download or read book Media, Culture and Society in Putin's Russia written by S. White and published by Springer. This book was released on 2008-04-09 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An international collection of papers focused on media, culture and society in postcommunist Russia. Contributors deploy a wealth of primary data in examining the kinds of issues that are central to our understanding of the kind of system that has been established in the world's largest country after a period of far-reaching change.


An Uncivil Approach to Civil Society

An Uncivil Approach to Civil Society

Author: Matthew Schaaf

Publisher: Human Rights Watch

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 75

ISBN-13: 1564324990

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"In his first year in office, President Dmitry Medvedev has done little to reverse the Russian government's deliberate weakening of key institutions of a pluralistic democratic society, which marked the presidency of Vladimir Putin. One key aspect of this growing authoritarianism has been increasing, excessive government scrutiny and control of nongovernmental organizations, mainly through the 2006 law regulating NGOs. This report describes how the law and current rules allow the state to interfere arbitrarily in NGOs, by conducting intrusive audits, imposing onerous reporting requirements, and impeding NGO registration on non-substantive, insignificant grounds. It documents how the law allows the Ministry of Justice to take disproportionate, punitive measures in response to minor administrative violations by NGOs. The report also describes how the deeply negative operating climate for NGOs is exacerbated by new restrictions on grants and subsidized office space, and a growing number of physical attacks and hostile statements directed at NGOs and activists. President Medvedev in April 2009 acknowledged the difficulties faced by NGOs, including restrictions 'without sufficient justification,' occasioning some optimism that Medvedev will break with restrictive policies instituted under Putin. Soon thereafter, Medvedev initiated a limited process for reforming the troublesome law; initial reforms will affect only a fraction of NGOs and are limited in scope. Human Rights Watch calls on the Russian government to expand the reform to all organizations, and end and desist from further arbitrary limitations on the work of independent civil society groups."--P. [4] of cover.


Book Synopsis An Uncivil Approach to Civil Society by : Matthew Schaaf

Download or read book An Uncivil Approach to Civil Society written by Matthew Schaaf and published by Human Rights Watch. This book was released on 2009 with total page 75 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "In his first year in office, President Dmitry Medvedev has done little to reverse the Russian government's deliberate weakening of key institutions of a pluralistic democratic society, which marked the presidency of Vladimir Putin. One key aspect of this growing authoritarianism has been increasing, excessive government scrutiny and control of nongovernmental organizations, mainly through the 2006 law regulating NGOs. This report describes how the law and current rules allow the state to interfere arbitrarily in NGOs, by conducting intrusive audits, imposing onerous reporting requirements, and impeding NGO registration on non-substantive, insignificant grounds. It documents how the law allows the Ministry of Justice to take disproportionate, punitive measures in response to minor administrative violations by NGOs. The report also describes how the deeply negative operating climate for NGOs is exacerbated by new restrictions on grants and subsidized office space, and a growing number of physical attacks and hostile statements directed at NGOs and activists. President Medvedev in April 2009 acknowledged the difficulties faced by NGOs, including restrictions 'without sufficient justification,' occasioning some optimism that Medvedev will break with restrictive policies instituted under Putin. Soon thereafter, Medvedev initiated a limited process for reforming the troublesome law; initial reforms will affect only a fraction of NGOs and are limited in scope. Human Rights Watch calls on the Russian government to expand the reform to all organizations, and end and desist from further arbitrary limitations on the work of independent civil society groups."--P. [4] of cover.


Moscow in Movement

Moscow in Movement

Author: Samuel A. Greene

Publisher: Stanford University Press

Published: 2014-08-20

Total Pages: 291

ISBN-13: 0804792445

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Moscow in Movement is the first exhaustive study of social movements, protest, and the state-society relationship in Vladimir Putin's Russia. Beginning in 2005 and running through the summer of 2013, the book traces the evolution of the relationship between citizens and their state through a series of in-depth case studies, explaining how Russians mobilized to defend human and civil rights, the environment, and individual and group interests: a process that culminated in the dramatic election protests of 2011–2012 and their aftermath. To understand where this surprising mobilization came from, and what it might mean for Russia's political future, the author looks beyond blanket arguments about the impact of low levels of trust, the weight of the Soviet legacy, or authoritarian repression, and finds an active and boisterous citizenry that nevertheless struggles to gain traction against a ruling elite that would prefer to ignore them. On a broader level, the core argument of this volume is that political elites, by structuring the political arena, exert a decisive influence on the patterns of collective behavior that make up civil society—and the author seeks to test this theory by applying it to observable facts in historical and comparative perspective. Moscow in Movement will be of interest to anyone looking for a bottom-up, citizens' eye view of recent Russian history, and especially to scholars and students of contemporary Russian politics and society, comparative politics, and sociology.


Book Synopsis Moscow in Movement by : Samuel A. Greene

Download or read book Moscow in Movement written by Samuel A. Greene and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2014-08-20 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Moscow in Movement is the first exhaustive study of social movements, protest, and the state-society relationship in Vladimir Putin's Russia. Beginning in 2005 and running through the summer of 2013, the book traces the evolution of the relationship between citizens and their state through a series of in-depth case studies, explaining how Russians mobilized to defend human and civil rights, the environment, and individual and group interests: a process that culminated in the dramatic election protests of 2011–2012 and their aftermath. To understand where this surprising mobilization came from, and what it might mean for Russia's political future, the author looks beyond blanket arguments about the impact of low levels of trust, the weight of the Soviet legacy, or authoritarian repression, and finds an active and boisterous citizenry that nevertheless struggles to gain traction against a ruling elite that would prefer to ignore them. On a broader level, the core argument of this volume is that political elites, by structuring the political arena, exert a decisive influence on the patterns of collective behavior that make up civil society—and the author seeks to test this theory by applying it to observable facts in historical and comparative perspective. Moscow in Movement will be of interest to anyone looking for a bottom-up, citizens' eye view of recent Russian history, and especially to scholars and students of contemporary Russian politics and society, comparative politics, and sociology.


Russia and Development

Russia and Development

Author: Charles Buxton

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2014-12-11

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 1780325177

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Unique and insightful, this book takes a look at Russia's development through the Tsarist and Soviet periods. Rather than make the more familiar comparisons between Russia and the West, Russia and Development focuses on political and social mobilization in adjacent Central Asia. It examines the role of local government and civil society in development, as well as popular responses to the policies of Putin and Medvedev aimed at modernizing Russia and forging a new Eurasia alliance in Russia's 'development neighbourhood'. The book uses local sources and case studies to pose important questions about the role of empire, revolution, nationalism and democratization in the twenty-first century. With unique insider knowledge, Charles Buxton ultimately places Russia's current development model in an international context, where Russia is increasingly becoming a competitor to Western-led development practices. Essential reading for anyone interested in the region or development thought and practice.


Book Synopsis Russia and Development by : Charles Buxton

Download or read book Russia and Development written by Charles Buxton and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2014-12-11 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unique and insightful, this book takes a look at Russia's development through the Tsarist and Soviet periods. Rather than make the more familiar comparisons between Russia and the West, Russia and Development focuses on political and social mobilization in adjacent Central Asia. It examines the role of local government and civil society in development, as well as popular responses to the policies of Putin and Medvedev aimed at modernizing Russia and forging a new Eurasia alliance in Russia's 'development neighbourhood'. The book uses local sources and case studies to pose important questions about the role of empire, revolution, nationalism and democratization in the twenty-first century. With unique insider knowledge, Charles Buxton ultimately places Russia's current development model in an international context, where Russia is increasingly becoming a competitor to Western-led development practices. Essential reading for anyone interested in the region or development thought and practice.


Systemic and Non-Systemic Opposition in the Russian Federation

Systemic and Non-Systemic Opposition in the Russian Federation

Author: Cameron Ross

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-03-03

Total Pages: 237

ISBN-13: 1317047222

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Over the period December 2011-July 2013 a tidal wave of mass protests swept through the Russian Capital and engulfed scores of cities and regions. Civil society, it appeared, had at last woken up. This fascinating book examines the rise and fall of the non-systemic opposition and the role of the systemic political opposition during this turbulent period. Leading experts in the field from Russia along with scholars from the UK and the US reflect on the conditions that have made large-scale protests possible, the types of people who have taken part and the goals of the opposition movement at both the national and regional levels. Contributors discuss what steps the regime has taken in response to this challenge and examine the relationship between the systemic and non-systemic opposition and what potential exists for the creation of a broad-based opposition coalition. The role of the expanding Russian middle class is discussed along with contemporary developments among the Russian left against the backdrop of the global economic crisis. The political, social and ethnic dimensions of the protest movement are also examined at both the national and regional levels in this truly comprehensive study of the rebirth of civil society in modern Russia.


Book Synopsis Systemic and Non-Systemic Opposition in the Russian Federation by : Cameron Ross

Download or read book Systemic and Non-Systemic Opposition in the Russian Federation written by Cameron Ross and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-03-03 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the period December 2011-July 2013 a tidal wave of mass protests swept through the Russian Capital and engulfed scores of cities and regions. Civil society, it appeared, had at last woken up. This fascinating book examines the rise and fall of the non-systemic opposition and the role of the systemic political opposition during this turbulent period. Leading experts in the field from Russia along with scholars from the UK and the US reflect on the conditions that have made large-scale protests possible, the types of people who have taken part and the goals of the opposition movement at both the national and regional levels. Contributors discuss what steps the regime has taken in response to this challenge and examine the relationship between the systemic and non-systemic opposition and what potential exists for the creation of a broad-based opposition coalition. The role of the expanding Russian middle class is discussed along with contemporary developments among the Russian left against the backdrop of the global economic crisis. The political, social and ethnic dimensions of the protest movement are also examined at both the national and regional levels in this truly comprehensive study of the rebirth of civil society in modern Russia.