ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on understanding the factors that are unique to Tunisian civil society and Tunisian political culture and how they have influenced Tunisia’s post-revolutionary transition. It addresses the gaps in the current literature regarding the contribution of civil political culture in enabling civil society organisations to positively influence the political transition from authoritarianism to democratic governance. The book offers a historical overview of Tunisian political history with a focus on the function of civil society. It presents the results of the data collected from the three methods: an online attitude survey, structured interviews, and ethnographic participant-observation respectively. The book demonstrates that in a post-authoritarian context, Tunisian civil society has performed a democratising function, and checked state authority but has also been allowed to flourish through the state’s provision of an enabling legal framework that protects freedom of association.
