ABSTRACT
One of the most frequently used concepts in the literature on regime transition and democratisation is ‘civil society’. Some authors have identified it as a key actor in initiating such transitions. Others have seen it as the sphere in which democratic values are fostered through associational life. Yet others go even further, suggesting that all organisations between the state and the family household constitute civil society. This chapter tries to address the question of what this concept really refers to. The task is important because it has implications for understanding the role of this concept in democratisation and what to look for empirically.
