Civil Society and the Governance of Development ― Opposing Global Institutions

Civil society organizations have become increasingly significant actors in global governance. Such actors are particularly active within the field of development where they engage with and try to influence global institutions in multiple ways. This book re-conceptualizes civil society engagement with global governance institutions in the field of development in terms of opposition. This innovative theoretical framework provides new insights and perspectives by combining theories from national opposition politics, international relations and social movement studies. The empirical analysis maps patterns of opposition and explains opposition strategies thorough detailed comparative case studies on civil society actors and, in particular, the European Union's policies and practices of development cooperation, as well as the Asian Development Bank and the Global Forum on Migration and Development. Unlike previous research in this field, which has tended to either focus on outside protest movements or inside lobbying advocacy, this study offers a more comprehensive approach and demonstrates how inside and outside strategies are frequently combined.

Anders Uhlin is Professor of Political Science at Lund University, Sweden. His recent publications include Legitimacy Beyond the State: Re-examining the Democratic Credentials of Transnational Actors (co-edited with E. Erman, 2010) and various articles in journals such as the Journal of Civil Society, Democratization, Global Governance and Third World Quarterly.

Sara Kalm is Lecturer of Political Science at Lund University, Sweden. Her recent publications include several book chapters and articles on the subjects of migration politics and civil society.