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Creating a Democratic Civil Society in Eastern Germany

The Case of the Citizen Movements and Alliance 90

  • Book
  • © 2001

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Authors:
  1. Christiane Olivo
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Table of contents (9 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-vii
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  2. Introduction

    • Christiane Olivo
    Pages 1-8

  3. The Reemergence of Civil Society as a Concept of Democratic Politics

    • Christiane Olivo
    Pages 9-31

  4. Civil Society, Public Spheres, and Democratic Deliberation

    • Christiane Olivo
    Pages 33-60

  5. Political Dissidence and Civil Society in Pre-1989 East Germany

    • Christiane Olivo
    Pages 61-89

  6. Institutionalizing Civil Society During the GDR’s Democratic Transition

    • Christiane Olivo
    Pages 91-118

  7. Citizen Movement or Political Party? The Development of Alliance 90 (1990–93)

    • Christiane Olivo
    Pages 119-146

  8. Integrating Citizen Movement Politics: Democratic Possibilities and Practical Limitations

    • Christiane Olivo
    Pages 147-175

  9. What Happened to the Citizen Movements? Political Transformations and Democratic Legacies

    • Christiane Olivo
    Pages 177-199

  10. Civil Society Politics Between Ideal and Reality

    • Christiane Olivo
    Pages 201-223

  11. Back Matter

    Pages 225-293
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Keywords

About this book

This book examines normative theories of civil society and deliberative democracy by using a case study of the East German 'citizen movements' that led the democratic opposition against the communist regime. These movements espoused political ideals and engaged in public activities with striking affinities to recent normative theoretical conceptions of civil society. Tracing the history of the citizen movements from the 1970s through the 1990s, this study analyzes their attempts to transform German politics through a 'politics of civil society.' This case reveals the democratic potential of civil society theories as well as the obstacles facing the realization of alternative visions of democracy in contemporary liberal democracies.

Reviews

'...thoughtful, stimulating works on possible forms of human agency in complex societies.' - German Studies Review

'...an informative and challenging work for interested general readers...' - Choice

'...a compelling work, interesting for those concerned with the applicability of the theories of civil society...' - Kati Hannken-illjes, Controversia

'...a book such as Christiane Olivo's is a welcome fresh breeze...much useful insight in this volume.' - Zsuzsa Gille, American Journal of Sociology

About the author

CHRISTIANE OLIVO is an assistant professor of political science at Antioch College. She previously taught at the University of Denver and University of Colorado at Denver. She has been a doctoral and post-doctoral fellow at the Free University of Berlin and the Humboldt University Berlin, respectively. Her work has appeared in Polity and German Politics and Society.

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