Structural Impediments of the Civil Society Project in Iran: National and Global Dimensions

Abstract

The origins of the “civil society” concept can be traced to the nineteenth century European political thought. But in the last two decades the concept has been revived in an eclectic and non-critical fashion by Western governments and affiliated donor agencies with vested neo-colonial and economic interests in Eastern Europe, former Soviet republics, and developing countries. This article argues that as an alternative to radical ideologies and revolutionary processes of social change, the civil society concept has been transformed into a neutral and allegedly non-ideological pragmatic “project” for establishing democracy and promoting market-based economies in developing nations. The article entails two components. First, it traces historical origins of the civil society concept from Locke, Hegel and Marx to Gramsci and Habermas, as well as resurrection of the concept by western governments, particularly in the United States and Britain. Second, it examines the feasibility of establishing civil society in developing countries by using the Islamic Republic of Iran as a case study, particularly since the victory of Mohammad Khatami and pro-reform factions in the 1997 presidential elections. Using Antonio Gramsci’s interpretation of civil society and providing a conceptual model, the article concludes that the civil society project in Iran and other developing countries is a recipe for failure due to both internal and external structural impediments.