Publication

This paper discusses the typology of civil society actors based on organizational attributes and worldviews. It argues that the emergence of a new social form, the "network," is giving way to the proliferation of nonstate actors and is transforming the nature of social conflict. It maintains that civil society actors are gaining leverage, and the sphere of civil society is becoming the locus of social conflict. In conclusion, the author states that the process of rationalization, desired by civil society actors in order to achieve greater influence has, in fact, undercut their legitimacy and emancipatory potential.