Civil Society and Democracy in Nigeria: A Theoretical Approach (African Governance)

"This book examines the complex relationship between the state and civil society and the impact that this has had on democratization processes in Nigeria from colonial times to the present. Expanding notions of democracy, the author builds a theoretical understanding of civil society to show how it can be both antithetical to, and an ally of the state in the struggle for democratization. Combining the neo-Gramscian framework with discursive perspectives from Habermas and Foucault, the book takes a dialectical approach that traces the incarnations of the state and civil society and relates the mutual connections of the two spaces. This book will be of interest to scholars of African politics, democratization and civil society"-- Provided by publisher Introduction -- Hegelian And Marxian Discourses On State And Civil Society -- Gramsci, Civil Society And Democracy -- Habermas, Foucault : Discourses On Civil Society And Democracy -- Dialectics Of Political Change -- Relations Of Forces In State And Civil Society : Synthesis And Assumptions -- Relations Of Forces And Authoritarian Outcomes -- Crises, State Mediation And Change -- State, Civil Society And The Institutionalisation Of Democracy -- Conclusion.