ABSTRACT
During the past ten years the terms public sociology, civil society, and governance have been used with increasing frequency to describe a wide array of political and social practices. Nickel provides a critical clarification of the concepts of civil society and governance, moving beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. With her unique international background in the practice of public service and social policy Nickel is able to provide a nuanced explanation of how civil society and governance are interrelated and the implications for the organisation of knowledge and public life. The book is framed in three parts. Part one explores the emergence of public sociology as an ideal, as well as the broader public turn in the social sciences. Part two explores the changing relationship between government and civil society, including non-profit organisations. Part three draws these two themes together in an exploration of the politics of practice and relations of power.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part |33 pages
The Politics of Knowledge
chapter |14 pages
Public Sociology as Knowledge, Politics, and Portrayal
part |48 pages
The Expansion of Governing
chapter |24 pages
Civil Society and the Origins of the Expansion of Governing
chapter |22 pages
The Transformation of the State Thesis
part |40 pages
Power and Practice