UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

PS 337: CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE STATE

SEMINAR QUESTIONS FOR 2022/2023 ACADEMIC YEAR, SEMESTER I

1. (a) With reference to Larry Diamond (1994), what is civil society and what is it not?
(b) What is civil in the concept of civil society?
2. Compare and contrast the conception of civil society in the classical, middle age, and enlightment philosophical ages.
3. Briefly, explain the main contributions of philosophers of the renaissance, 19 th Century, and 20th century to the modern
idea of civil society.
4. Explain the main contribution of Alexis de Tocqueville to the development of the concept of civil society. How does
“Civil Society and the Collapse of the Weimer Republic” by Sheri Berman support or disagree with Tocqueville’s
conception of civil society?
5. With reference to John Harbeson (1994) and Brandes Nikolai and Bettina Angles (2011), would you argue that the
concept of civil society is relevant in Africa? How would you characterize civil society in Africa?
6. With reference to either the legal framework or policy framework, identify and discuss at least five (5) core provisions
that reduce the autonomy of Civil Society Associations in Tanzania.
7. Would you subscribe/support the theoretical view that the proliferation of Civil Society Associations in the 1990s was
based on a democratic imperative?
8. With reference to Genevieve Kyarimpa (2007) and Katusiimeh Mesharch (2004) or Godwin R Muranga (2000) and
Karuti Kanyinga (2010), discuss the role of civil society in Democratic Transition providing examples from one country
in East Africa.
9. Civil Society Organizations play an important role in the process of democratization. However scholars have argued that
the stages of democratization where the role of Civil Society Organizations is critically needed are the transition and
consolidation stage. With concrete examples analyze the role that civil society associations play at each stage.
10. Compare and contrast the status and role of civil society in promoting democracy in two countries from East Africa.
11. “Third Sector” is not only perceived as a new concept, but also a new approach for guiding the thinking of scholars and
practitioners on the meaning and role of civil society. Does the concept “third sector” complement or contradict with the
classical meaning of civil society?
12. One American Scholar argued; “It is not justifiable to refer to civil society in Tanzania as ‘third sector’”. Using the
SWOT framework, discuss this statement.

⃰ Softcopy of the Readings available in the LMS