ABSTRACT
Natil's introductory chapters on the barriers of effective civil society organisations (CSOs) explore shifting landscapes and their impact on civil society and how civil society can be understood. This chapter theorises the challenges of civil society, which are defined as the ability of this sector to cope with and operate in constantly changing conditions, restrictive political environments and complexity of sociocultural and economic contexts. This chapter includes the background, framework, scope and questions of study and methods. It introduces some examples of CSOs and their various operational practices and influences in society, as well as shedding light on their challenges as CSOs in contemporary societies. It focuses on three themes/shifts – political, social and foreign aid – and examines specific case studies which will contribute towards our understanding of current operations of CSOs in contemporary societies such as Ireland, Ecuador, Colombia, and so on.
Finally, the last part of the chapter addresses the extent to which barriers of effective civil society definitions and theorisations apply to political, social and funding shifts, introducing a general overview of the dynamics by taking into account the variety of roles and functions they can fulfil.
