REIMAGINING CIVIL SOCIETY
Explore the dynamic role of civil society in shaping social, political, and economic life across diverse cultural and governance contexts. Analyze the historical evolution, achievements, and future potential of civil society, examining its interactions with state institutions and market forces. Evaluate civic health at different scales/geographies, compare major theoretical perspectives on civil society, and analyze the challenges impacting civil society and civic health. Consider how individual identities, structural barriers, and cultural affiliations shape participation and responsibility within community and civic life while learning concrete strategies for resisting authoritarianism and other forces that threaten the autonomy and power of civil society. Foster collaborative learning and support students in producing scholarship that is accessible to both academic and public audiences.
Prerequisites & course information
Requisites: Graduate/professional standing Course Designation: Grad 50% - Counts toward 50% graduate coursework requirement Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Spring 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Analyze the meaning, historical evolution, achievements, and future potential of civil society, giving special attention to its interactions with government institutions and the private sector. Audience: Graduate 2. Evaluate civic health across diverse contexts, examining how organizational structures, political regimes, and cultural norms promote or constrain civic engagement. Audience: Graduate 3. Compare major theoretical perspectives and assess competing interpretations of civil society's role, power dynamics, and limitations. Audience: Graduate 4. Identify and assess the structural, political, and internal threats facing civil society and propose strategies to strengthen its resilience and democratic accountability. Audience: Graduate 5. Apply a human ecological approach to civic engagement focusing on individual positionality, group identities, and structural barriers that people encounter across the lifespan. Audience: Graduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Analyze the meaning, historical evolution, achievements, and future potential of civil society, giving special attention to its interactions with government institutions and the private sector. Audience: Graduate 2. Evaluate civic health across diverse contexts, examining how organizational structures, political regimes, and cultural norms promote or constrain civic engagement. Audience: Graduate 3. Compare major theoretical perspectives and assess competing interpretations of civil society's role, power dynamics, and limitations. Audience: Graduate 4. Identify and assess the structural, political, and internal threats facing civil society and propose strategies to strengthen its resilience and democratic accountability. Audience: Graduate 5. Apply a human ecological approach to civic engagement focusing on individual positionality, group identities, and structural barriers that people encounter across the lifespan. Audience: Graduate
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027