The politics of ‘uncivil’ society in Egypt

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Review of African Political Economy

Volume 29, Issue 91

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The politics of ‘uncivil’ society in Egypt

research-article

Author(s): Maha Abdel Rahman

Publication date (Print): March 2002

Journal: Review of African Political Economy

Publisher: Review of African Political Economy

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Abstract

This article investigates the concept of civil society. It argues that the recent celebration of the concept as the domain of freedom and justice and as a panacea for the ills of state‐led development models has underestimated its inherent weaknesses and limitations. The portrayal of the concept in both academic and policy circles is often based on ideological convictions and uncritical adulation rather than empirical evidence and rigorous analysis. Tracing the historical development of the concept, the article provides an alternative view of the conflictual, often reactionary nature of civil society organisations. The Egyptian case offers empirical demonstration of how the state is no longer the prime authoritarian force in repressing civil society organisation. Instead, civil society has become an arena for political conflict and its organisations have been seized by representatives of contending political programmes that often resort to violence and repression to suppress other groups within civil society.

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Author and article information

Contributors

Maha Abdel Rahman:

Comment :

Maha Abdel Rahmanis a researcher on political issues in the Middle East. maha@iss.nl

Journal

Journal ID (publisher-id): crea20

Journal ID (archive): CREA

Title: Review of African Political Economy

Publisher: Review of African Political Economy

ISSN (Print): 0305-6244

ISSN (Electronic): 1740-1720

Publication date (Print): March 2002

Volume: 29

Issue: 91

Pages: 21-35

Article

Publisher ID: 8704582 Coden ID: Review of African Political Economy, Vol. 29, No. 91, March 2002, pp. 21-35

DOI: 10.1080/03056240208704582

SO-VID: 0b576df4-fc5e-4654-9c1b-2347c74e3660

License:

All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

History

Page count

Figures: 0, Tables: 0, References: 34, Pages: 15

Bibliography

Al‐Felally M. . 1989. . “‘Islamic Religious Resurgence: Its Characteristics, Stages, Future’. ”. In Contemporary Islamic Movements in the Arab World . , Beirut : : Centre for Arab Unity Studies. .
Allen C. . 1997. . ‘Who Needs Civil Society’. . Review of African Political Economy . , Vol. 73:: 329––337. .
Amin A. . 1995. . Beyond Associative Democracy . , (Discussion Paper TI‐1–95–220). Amsterdam : : Tinbergen Institute. .
Ayubi N. . 1991. . The State and Public Policies in Egypt Since Sadat . , Oxford : : Ithaca Press. .
Azzam M. . 1996. . “‘Egypt: The Islamists and the State Under Mubarak’. ”. In Islamic Fundamentalism . , Edited by: Sidahmed Abdel Salam and Ehteshami A. . Boulder : : Westview Press. .
Bromley S. . 1994. . Rethinking Middle East Politics, State Formation and Development . , Cambridge : : Polity Press. .
Bush R and Seddon D. . 1999. . ‘Editorial: North Africa in Africa’. . Review of African Political Economy . , Vol. 82:: 435––9. .
Chabal P and Daloz J. . 1998. . Africa Works: Disorder as Political Instrument . , The International African Institute & James Currey: Oxford & Indiana University Press. .
Chandhoke N. . 1995. . State and Civil Society: Explorations in Political Theory . , New Delhi : : Sage Publications. .
Cohen J and Rogers J. . 1995. . Associations and Democracy . , London : : Verso. .
Fatton R. . 1992. . Predatory Rule: State and Civil Society in Africa . , London : : Lynne Rienner Publishers. .
Hann C and Dunn E. , eds. 1996. . Civil Society Western Models . , London & New York : : Rout‐ledge. .
Hann C. . 1996. . “‘Introduction: Political Society and Civil Anthropology’. ”. In Civil Society Western Models . , Edited by: Hann and Dunn. . London & New York : : Routledge. .
Hintjens H. . 1999. . ‘The Emperor's New Clothes: a moral tale for development experts?’. . Development in Practice . , Vol. 9((4)): 382395
Hirst P. . 1994. . Associative Democracy New Forms of Economic and Social Governance . , Cambridge : : Polity Press. .
Gramsci A. . 1971. . Selections from Prison Notebooks of A. Gramsci . , Edited by: Hoare Q and Smith G N. . New York : : International Publishers. .
Ibrahim S E. . 1995. . “‘Civil Society and Prospects for Democratisation in the Arab World’. ”. In Civil Society in the Middle East . , Edited by: Norton A. . Leiden : : Brill. .
Ismail A. . 1992. . “‘Civil Society and the State in Contemporary Muslim Thought and Practice’. ”. In Civil Society in the Arab World and its Role in Achieving Democracy . , Beirut : : Centre for Arab Unity Studies. .
Jacuemond R. . 1997. . ‘In the Middle East Deadlock Egypt's Intellectuals Rediscover Nasser’. . Le Monde Diplomatique . , July;: 1––5. .
Jawad H. , ed. 1997. . The Middle East in the New World Order . , London : : Macmillan Press. .
Kothari S. . 1999. . ‘Inclusive, just, dynamic: building a “civil” society in the Third World’. . Development in Practice . , Vol. 9((3)): 426––258. .
Kramer G. . 1992. . ‘Liberalisation and Democracy in the Arab World’. . Middle East Report . , January‐February;: 21––25. .
Loizas P. . 1996. . “‘How Ernest Gellner got mugged on the streets of London or: civil society, the media and the quality of life’. ”. In Civil Society Western Models . , Edited by: Hann and Dunn. . London & New York : : Routledge. .
Norton A. , ed. 1995. . Civil Society in the Middle East . , Leiden : : Brill. .
Owen R. . 2000. . State, Power and Politics in the Making of the Middle East . , (2nd edition). , London : : Routledge. .
Ozay M. . 1991. . Islam and Economic Development: the Challenge for Modernity . , Ottawa : : Carleton University. .
Saad R. . 1997. . ‘Shame, Reputation and Egypt's Lovers: A Controversy Over the Nation's Image’. . Visual Anthropology . , Vol. 9:: 3––7. .
Sogge D. , ed. 1996. . Compassion and Calculations: The Business of Private Foreign Aid . , London : : Pluto Press. .
Streek W. . 1992. . ‘Inclusion and Secession: Questions of the Boundaries of Associative Democracy’. . Politics and Society . , Vol. 20((4)): 513––520. .
Tripp C. . 1996. . “‘Islam and the Secular Logic of the State in the Middle East’. ”. In Islamic Fundamentalism . , Edited by: Sidahmed Abdel Salam and Ehteshami A. . Boulder : : Westview Press. .
Whaites A. . 1996. . ‘Let's Get Civil Society Straight: NGOs and Political Theory’. . Development in Practice . , Vol. 6((3)): 240––4. .
White S. . 1996. . ‘Depoliticising Development: The Uses and Abuses of Participation’. . Development in Practice . , Vol. 6((1)): 6––15. .
Zubaida S. . 1989. . ‘Reading History Backwards’. . Middle East Report . , Vol. 160: September‐October;: 39––41. .
_____. . 1992. . ‘Islam, the State and Democracy Contrasting Conceptions of Society in Egypt’. . Middle East Report . , November‐December;: 2––10. .

Comments

Comment on this article

[1] Al‐Felally M. . 1989. . “‘Islamic Religious Resurgence: Its Characteristics, Stages, Future’. ”. In Contemporary Islamic Movements in the Arab World . , Beirut : : Centre for Arab Unity Studies. .

[2] Allen C. . 1997. . ‘Who Needs Civil Society’. . Review of African Political Economy . , Vol. 73:: 329––337. .

[3] Amin A. . 1995. . Beyond Associative Democracy . , (Discussion Paper TI‐1–95–220). Amsterdam : : Tinbergen Institute. .

[4] Ayubi N. . 1991. . The State and Public Policies in Egypt Since Sadat . , Oxford : : Ithaca Press. .

[5] Azzam M. . 1996. . “‘Egypt: The Islamists and the State Under Mubarak’. ”. In Islamic Fundamentalism . , Edited by: Sidahmed Abdel Salam and Ehteshami A. . Boulder : : Westview Press. .

[6] Bromley S. . 1994. . Rethinking Middle East Politics, State Formation and Development . , Cambridge : : Polity Press. .

[7] Bush R and Seddon D. . 1999. . ‘Editorial: North Africa in Africa’. . Review of African Political Economy . , Vol. 82:: 435––9. .

[8] Chabal P and Daloz J. . 1998. . Africa Works: Disorder as Political Instrument . , The International African Institute & James Currey: Oxford & Indiana University Press. .

[9] Chandhoke N. . 1995. . State and Civil Society: Explorations in Political Theory . , New Delhi : : Sage Publications. .

[10] Cohen J and Rogers J. . 1995. . Associations and Democracy . , London : : Verso. .

[11] Fatton R. . 1992. . Predatory Rule: State and Civil Society in Africa . , London : : Lynne Rienner Publishers. .

[12] Hann C and Dunn E. , eds. 1996. . Civil Society Western Models . , London & New York : : Rout‐ledge. .

[13] Hann C. . 1996. . “‘Introduction: Political Society and Civil Anthropology’. ”. In Civil Society Western Models . , Edited by: Hann and Dunn. . London & New York : : Routledge. .

[14] Hintjens H. . 1999. . ‘The Emperor's New Clothes: a moral tale for development experts?’. . Development in Practice . , Vol. 9((4)): 382395

[15] Hirst P. . 1994. . Associative Democracy New Forms of Economic and Social Governance . , Cambridge : : Polity Press. .

[16] Gramsci A. . 1971. . Selections from Prison Notebooks of A. Gramsci . , Edited by: Hoare Q and Smith G N. . New York : : International Publishers. .

[17] Ibrahim S E. . 1995. . “‘Civil Society and Prospects for Democratisation in the Arab World’. ”. In Civil Society in the Middle East . , Edited by: Norton A. . Leiden : : Brill. .

[18] Ismail A. . 1992. . “‘Civil Society and the State in Contemporary Muslim Thought and Practice’. ”. In Civil Society in the Arab World and its Role in Achieving Democracy . , Beirut : : Centre for Arab Unity Studies. .

[19] Jacuemond R. . 1997. . ‘In the Middle East Deadlock Egypt's Intellectuals Rediscover Nasser’. . Le Monde Diplomatique . , July;: 1––5. .

[20] Jawad H. , ed. 1997. . The Middle East in the New World Order . , London : : Macmillan Press. .

[21] Kothari S. . 1999. . ‘Inclusive, just, dynamic: building a “civil” society in the Third World’. . Development in Practice . , Vol. 9((3)): 426––258. .

[22] Kramer G. . 1992. . ‘Liberalisation and Democracy in the Arab World’. . Middle East Report . , January‐February;: 21––25. .

[23] Loizas P. . 1996. . “‘How Ernest Gellner got mugged on the streets of London or: civil society, the media and the quality of life’. ”. In Civil Society Western Models . , Edited by: Hann and Dunn. . London & New York : : Routledge. .

[24] Norton A. , ed. 1995. . Civil Society in the Middle East . , Leiden : : Brill. .

[25] Owen R. . 2000. . State, Power and Politics in the Making of the Middle East . , (2nd edition). , London : : Routledge. .

[26] Ozay M. . 1991. . Islam and Economic Development: the Challenge for Modernity . , Ottawa : : Carleton University. .

[27] Saad R. . 1997. . ‘Shame, Reputation and Egypt's Lovers: A Controversy Over the Nation's Image’. . Visual Anthropology . , Vol. 9:: 3––7. .

[28] Sogge D. , ed. 1996. . Compassion and Calculations: The Business of Private Foreign Aid . , London : : Pluto Press. .

[29] Streek W. . 1992. . ‘Inclusion and Secession: Questions of the Boundaries of Associative Democracy’. . Politics and Society . , Vol. 20((4)): 513––520. .

[30] Tripp C. . 1996. . “‘Islam and the Secular Logic of the State in the Middle East’. ”. In Islamic Fundamentalism . , Edited by: Sidahmed Abdel Salam and Ehteshami A. . Boulder : : Westview Press. .

[31] Whaites A. . 1996. . ‘Let's Get Civil Society Straight: NGOs and Political Theory’. . Development in Practice . , Vol. 6((3)): 240––4. .

[32] White S. . 1996. . ‘Depoliticising Development: The Uses and Abuses of Participation’. . Development in Practice . , Vol. 6((1)): 6––15. .

[33] Zubaida S. . 1989. . ‘Reading History Backwards’. . Middle East Report . , Vol. 160: September‐October;: 39––41. .

[34] _____. . 1992. . ‘Islam, the State and Democracy Contrasting Conceptions of Society in Egypt’. . Middle East Report . , November‐December;: 2––10. .

Review of African Political Economy

The politics of ‘uncivil’ society in Egypt

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