Complex Dynamics Civil-Political Societies and Democratization Processes

Is there a relationship between civil society and political society in democratisation processes? How do these societies influence each other? What are the potential interrelated (explanatory) variables of both societies which could improve or impede democratization? To find out more about these topics, read the interesting research paper of Stephan de Vries titled: The Downfall of Simplicity and the ‘Complex’ Notion (s) of Democratization: A Revision of the Relation between Political Society, Civil Society and Democratization.

This paper is part of the Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia, a joint initiative by Hivos and the University of Amsterdam with the purpose of generating and integrating knowledge on the roles and opportunities for civil society actors in democratization processes in politically challenging environments. The programme integrates academic and practitioners’ knowledge from around the world to develop new insights and strategies on how civil society actors in Iran and Syria can contribute to various processes of democratization and, in turn, how international actors can support this.

Stephan de Vries is a research assistant attached to Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia.