21603 Chap.3 Civil Society Between Market and State
Civil Society Between Market and State
A map of who does what
Week 2 asks how democracies like Australia are organised. One answer splits society into the market, where firms pursue profit, the state, which makes and enforces public rules, and civil society, where people choose to organise around common concerns.
Each sector does real good, and each can do harm when pushed to an extreme.
Where advocates come from
Systemic advocacy mostly grows out of civil society: charities, unions, clubs, faith groups and informal networks pressing a government or a company to change course.
Seeing which sector an actor belongs to tells you what it wants and what leverage it holds.
Why it matters for democracy
Independent community groups and an unfettered press are treated as signs of democratic health, because they let people act together on shared concerns without interference from business or government. Governments still limit some activity, and some of those limits are fiercely debated.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Advocacy in liberal democracies
- 02
The market sector
- 03
The state sector
- 04
Civil society as a third sector
- 05
Defining civil society organisations
- 06
Civil society and democracy
Worked example · free
Place four showground-sale actors in the market, state and civil society circles
- 1The lands minister’s office is part of government, so it sits in the state circle.
- 1The property developer seeks profit from the site, so it belongs to the market.
- 1The show society is a volunteer group organised around a shared interest, so it is civil society.
- 1The social enterprise café earns income like a business but serves a charitable purpose, so it straddles the market and civil society circles.
Key terms
- Market Sector
- The part of society made up of private, profit-seeking activity such as firms, trade and financial markets.
- State Sector
- Government and its institutions, which make and carry out laws and policies on behalf of the public.
- Third Sector
- Another name for civil society, used to mark it as distinct from both business and government.
- Freedom of Association
- The right of people to form and join groups, which allows civil society organisations to exist and act together.
Civil Society Between Market and State FAQ
What are the three sectors of society in advocacy studies?
The subject divides democratic societies into the market, the state and civil society. The market covers profit-making business, the state covers government and public institutions, and civil society covers groups people form voluntarily, such as charities, unions and clubs. The sectors overlap, and most advocacy campaigns originate in civil society.
Why is it hard to define civil society?
Many labels describe it negatively, as non-profit or non-government, which says what these groups are not. The Week 2 lecture prefers to call them civil society organisations and uses a broad definition covering any collective activity people undertake outside both business and government, from formal charities to informal online groups.
Is a university part of civil society?
The lecture includes universities in its list of civil society organisations, alongside charities, unions, interest groups and faith groups. Universities can also be the target of advocacy, for example when students or staff press leadership to change a policy, so one institution can appear in both roles.
Can civil society be harmful?
Yes. It can check the excesses of business and government, but the lecture notes a negative end where groups become intensely partisan or nationalist and pursue their own interests by harming others. Extremist groups are the clearest examples of civil society at its worst.
Why does a strong civil society matter for democracy?
It gives people a way to act together on shared concerns without control by business or government, and to settle disputes with the state peacefully through lobbying, elections or public debate. That is why independent groups and a free press are read as signs that a democracy is in good health.
Assessment move
Take a news story about a local controversy and list every organisation mentioned, then sort each into the market, the state or civil society and write one line on what it stands to gain. Mark any organisation that sits across two sectors, such as a social enterprise or a commercial newspaper. Compare the balance of sectors with the political system you grew up in, as the Week 2 discussion invites.
When you start Assessment 1, use the same sorting to identify who is contesting your issue. If an actor resists classification, ask Sia to weigh its funding and purpose with you.
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