Definitions and Types of Civil Society

Both civil society and democracy have emerged under the influence of Western Europe's historical and cultural contexts and have since gained widespread prominence globally. This study examines the definitions and types of civil society in the West and Türkiye by outlining the evolving meaning frameworks throughout history. After discussing the types of civil society that developed historically in the West, the modernization process in Türkiye will be divided into distinct periods, with an explanation of the specific conditions and types of civil society that emerged in each period.

In the West, the initial framework of meaning is the model of civilized behaviour that was adopted by the bourgeoisie during the early modern period as a counter to barbarism. Secondly, civil society functions as an anti-authoritarian organized space for struggle, where the rights and freedoms of both the bourgeois and, subsequently, the working class are advocated. The third framework encompasses the collective positioned against the tyranny of the majority and individualism within a democratic system.

In Türkiye, the first meaning that civil society gained is a model of civilised behaviour, especially under the influence of Western culture. Within the framework of the right and left political poles that emerged in the political arena, two axes of civil social organisation have emerged since the 1960s, and the types of civil society that have diversified in these two poles have been shaped in the process until today. After 1980, civil society formations started to gain a ‘civil’ character within the framework of liberal values. In the 2000s, civil society formations shaped under the influence of contemporary ideologies such as feminism and ecologism and civil society formations that glorify national values have been effective. Turkish civil society exemplifies diverse civil society formations with different aims and organizations, shaped by various cultural factors.