ABSTRACT

In the past, civil society has been seen as key to democratic transition in many political contexts. While the optimism that surrounded the expansion in the scale of civil society activity in the Middle East which characterized the 1990s has given way to more cautious assessments of its possible impact on political change in the region, nonetheless much work remains to be done in scrutinizing the impact of civil society on political dynamics in specific contexts in the region. Undoubtedly, more critical tones have entered the discourse on civil society in the Middle East, but it is still the case that the assumption of a positive correlation between a healthy civil society sector and political reform in the direction of greater levels of pluralism and democracy remains central to much of the commentary on the region and continues to inform policy-making.