Beyond the State: Civil Society and Associational Life in Africa

TLDR

Scholars’ focus on the state in sub‑Saharan Africa may obscure civil society’s role amid a weak, retreating state. The article argues that societal actors should take a larger role in political change. It reviews state‑society literature, emphasizes African associational life, and proposes a theoretical framework and research agenda to assess state and societal engagement options.

Abstract

The current scholarly preoccupation with the state may obscure more than it reveals for students of politics in sub-Saharan Africa. The weakly formed state in Africa—beset by decline in economic production and political authority—is now retreating from overambitious attempts at social transformation. The time is therefore ripe for societal actors to play an enhanced role in political change. This article reviews the current literature on state-society relations in Africa with particular emphasis on the nature of African associational life and the extent to which it is taking on a politically organized form as an identifiable civil society. The author proposes a theoretical framework and research agenda that takes account of the capacity of either state or societal actors to exercise a range of options to engage or disengage.