Socialization to Civil Society

A Life History Study of Community Leaders

By Peter Robert Sawyer

Subjects: Sociology, Education, American Studies
Paperback : 9780791461860, 212 pages, November 2004
Hardcover : 9780791461853, 212 pages, November 2004

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Table of contents

Preface

1: Strengthening Civil Society

2: Civil Society

 

Importance of Civil Society to Democracy
History of Civil Society in America
The Creation of Meaning and Civil Society

 

3: Engaging Citizens in Civil Society

 

Explaining Involvement in Civil Society
Political Socialization
Conclusion

 

4: Researching Engaged Citizens in Civil Society

 

Community Site Selection
Research Approach
Subject Selection
Interviews
Interview Schedule
Analyses of Interviews
Design Statement

 

5: Citizen Models for Civil Society

 

Values
Virtues and Norms
Concepts and Beliefs Concerning Public Life
Motivations to Involvement in Civil Society
Conclusion

 

6: Socialization to Civil Society

 

Childhood Socialization to Civil Society
Adult Socialization to Civil Society
Conclusions

 

7: Discussion and Conclusions

 

Focus on Micro-Sociology and Community Politics
Methodology
Facilitating the Health of Civil Society

 

Appendices

 

Appendix A: Random Phone Interview Guide
Appendix B: Organizational Representative Interview Guide
Appendix C: Identified Subjects Interview Guide
Appendix D: Subject Biographies
Appendix E: Written Consent Form

 

Notes

References

Index

Using a life history approach, looks at what influences citizens to participate in the voluntary associations that comprise and promote civil society.

Description

2005 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title

While many political theorists argue that the problems and failures of American democracy are rooted in the decline of civil society, few examine how American institutions socialize citizens to participate in the voluntary associations that comprise civil society. Peter Robert Sawyer offers a life history approach to explore citizen involvement within one community in upstate New York. Sawyer's informants model enlightened self-interest and participate actively in their community's voluntary associations. Their life histories, revealed in rich narrative, tell us how they think about political life and how various agents of socialization—family, peers, school, church, community, media, workplace, and voluntary associations themselves—influence their commitment. The results of this study provide some interesting revelations about how to construct government, corporate, education, and family institutions to encourage civic participation and to maintain the overall health of civil society.

Peter Robert Sawyer is Department Chair of History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences at Hudson Valley Community College.