|
" Globalization and post-colonial state : "
Pratt, Nicola Christine.
| Document Type
|
:
|
Latin Dissertation
|
| Record Number
|
:
|
1095032
|
| Doc. No
|
:
|
TLets369978
|
| Main Entry
|
:
|
Pratt, Nicola Christine.
|
| Title & Author
|
:
|
Globalization and post-colonial state :\ Pratt, Nicola Christine.
|
| College
|
:
|
University of Exeter
|
| Date
|
:
|
2001
|
| student score
|
:
|
2001
|
| Degree
|
:
|
Ph.D.
|
| Abstract
|
:
|
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, there exists a near total consensus regarding the desirability ofdemocracy. Many see the push towards democracy as encouraged by the increasing interconnectednessusuallyreferred to as 'globalization'-between countries and peoples. Civil societies around the worldare often regarded as the primary beneficiaries of globalization. Simultaneously, they are frequentlyrepresented by policy-makers, academics and development practitioners, as the new agents ofdemocratization, particularly in the struggle against authoritarian regimes.This thesis seeks to answer two sets of questions:1. Does civil society contribute to democratization? If so, how? And if not, why not?2. Does globalization help or hinder the democratization process?In response, this thesis argues that civil society plays a key role in contributing to democratization, but itdoes not necessarily do so. Indeed, certain sections of civil society playa role in maintainingauthoritarianism. Secondly, globalization both helps and hinders democratization. This is nothing to dowith globalization's intrinsic qualities, but rather due to the way that actors within civil society perceiveglo baliza tion.I present here a case study of Egyptian human rights NGOs, as a sector of Egyptian civil societystruggling for democratic governance. Following a survey of the current literature on globalization,democratization and civil society, Chapter 1 introduces the theoretical and conceptual elements of thethesis, which are based on Gramscian notions of hegemony and civil society. Chapter 2 locates thehistorical problem of democracy in Egypt within the hegemonic power relations that have developed inthe post-colonial era. This chapter represents the emergence of Egypt's first human rights organization aspushing the boundaries of the hegemonic consensus. Chapter 3 demonstrates that, despite the sharedorigins and objectives of the Egyptian human rights NGO community, different human rights NGOspursue different strategies in attempting to bring about democratization. These different strategies dependupon the positions of human rights activists vis-a-vis the post-colonial hegemonic consensus.Chapter 4 examines the way in which human rights NGOs conflict with other sections of civil societybecause of the former's resistance to the hegemonic consensus. Furthermore, civil society opposition tohuman rights NGOs leads to calls for their control and, consequently, the strengthening ofauthoritarianism. Chapter 5 examines further how authoritarianism may be strengthened as a result ofglobalization. It also considers the problems faced by human rights NGOs and other civil society actors inbuilding a wide-based coalition for democratization that challenges the bases of the hegemonic consensusunderpinning authoritarianism. In the final chapter, I suggest some implications for this research inrelation to how we conceive politics and political strategies in the struggles of non-state groups fordemocratization
|
| Subject
|
:
|
Civil society; Democratisation; Nationalism; Gender; Class; Globalisation
|
| Added Entry
|
:
|
University of Exeter
|
| |