CIVIL SOCIETIES AND

SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

AERON JOHN A. AMIN, PhD

Subject Teacher
MELC: Explain the
concepts, role, and
contributions of civil
societies and social
movements to Philippine
democracy.
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
At the end if this lesson, the student should be able to:
1. Define civil society and social movements;
2. Discuss the concepts of civil society
organizations and social movements;
3. Explain the contributions of civil society organizations
and social movements to Philippines democracy; and
4. Discuss the role of civilsociety
organizations and social movements.
 Civil Society is the aggregate of nongovernmental
organizations and institutions that manifest
interest and will of citizens.

 are basically non-government members of the

society that promote the interest of the public.

 Known to champion issues of the marginalized

members of the society, such as issues on human
rights, labor rights, environmental protection and
poverty.
citizen participation in political processes

 arena of uncovered collective action around

shared interests, purposes and values. In
theory, its institutional forms are distinct from
those of the state, family and market. Civil
society commonly embraces a diversity of
spaces, actors and institutional forms, varying
in their degree of formality, autonomy and
power.
INTEREST GROUP
 any group that, on the basis of one or more shared
attitudes, makes certain claim upon other groups in
society for the establishment, maintenance, or
enhancement of forms of behavior that are implied by
the shared attitudes

 organized organizations that engage in activity

relative to governmental decisions

 organizations that attempt to influence public

policy
INTEREST GROUPS:
CHARACTERISTICS
 formal structure of organization
 articulation & aggregation of interests
 acting within the political system
 influencing external power
 representation of political interests
 Lobbying e.g. building public pressure
using media organizing rallies &
demonstrations forming alliances &
coalitions
NON-GOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS(NGOS)
 Non-Governmental Aid Organization (NGO's) provide
assistance to people for a little or no fee. NGO's fall into
the category of civil society because they are not
operated by the government.

 non-membership organization formed for providing

welfare and development services to the poor

 private, non-profit, legal, small, focused usually works

with peoples’ organizations (Pos)
NGOS : EMERGENCE
 fill a gap in the function of the government

 stimulating agent for community development

 create opportunities for the politically marginalized

to become active participants in the socio-political
processes of society.
 NGOS ROLE
playing as an intermediary mechanism between those
who have power & those who have none:
1. plays as an alternative institutional setting to
political parties, articulating & aggregating
socially relevant interests
2. supplements government’s social delivery
mechanisms
3. privatizes policy implementation
 TYPOLOGY OF PHILIPPINE NGOS
1. DJANGOs (Development, Justice and Advocacy NGOs)
- commonly called development NGOs
- perform direct and indirect support service functions with Pos
2. FUNDANGOs (Funding agency NGOs or Philanthropic Foundations
-grant-giving organizations linked to grassroots organizations through providing
financial and other forms of support
3. MUNGOs (Mutant NGOs)
-largely composed of government-run NGOs that are essentially extensions of the state
or personal interests of state actors
4. COME N’GOs (Fly-by-Night or paper NGOs)
- fly-by-night organizations that package proposals to attract outside funding and
promptly disappear with the funds.
HISTORICAL CONTEXTUALIZATION OF
PHILIPPINE CIVIL SOCIETY
a. Intensifying Unrest, Alarming Protest: The Rise of Militancy
• 1960s: political and economic exploitation by the ruling elite
• rapid mobilization of revolutionary mass organizations
• emergence of a movement for grassroots development

b. Repression, Co-optation: The Way to Innovation & Expansion

• declaration of martial law in 1972
• Marcos dictatorship (failure to address problems of development)
c. Assassination, Revolution: Towards Participation & Democratization

• Ninoy Aquino assassination (1983) - “2nd wave of activism”

• “People Power Revolution” (1986)
•1987 Constitution: encourages formation; support for regional NGOs;
respect of their role; right to participate in decision making; consultation
mechanisms
• 1991 Local Government Code: NGOs as representatives of peoples’
interests

d. Democratization Movements
• EDSA Dos – 2001
• EDSA Tres
• Anti-Charter Change
5 CIVIL SOCIETIES
IN THE PHILIPPINE
POLITICS
5 areas for NGO participation in electoral
processes

1. advocacy for electoral reforms

2. the raising of political consciousness
3. advancement of the people’s platform or agenda
in elections
4. direct participation through the fielding
of and campaigning for chosen
candidates
5. post-election activities
CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS
THEREFORE….
• play s an essential role in democratizing
politics and governance facilitate participation of
the people in the policy-makingand ability to
influence:
• execution process of government
• “key participant political force”
• role in enhancing democracy
• important institutional vehicles
 As organizers: forming community & popular grassroots
organization

 As advocates: mobilizing, articulating people’s

interests, political demands, and institutional
reforms

 As mediators: linking the powerful and disempowered

strata of the society

 As deliverers: alternative mechanism for delivery of

social services
ROLE OF CIVIL
SOCIETY
 Civil Society as an instrument for
securing rights and interest at the
people:
-Civil Society works for discharging
several economic, social, cultural,
moral and other responsibilities which
fall in the domain of private activities.
 Growing Strength as Role of Civil Society in our
country:
-In our country the civil society has been
becoming more and more aware, alert.
 Need of Civil Society in undemocratic states:
-Civil Society needed in an authoritarian
system because of overthrow of authoritarian
regime and replace it with a democratic system.
WHAT IS SOCIAL MOVEMENT?

 Social Movements are large

informal groupings of
individuals or organizations
which focus on specific political
or social issues.
 Cultural Anthropologist David F. Aberle
identified four kinds of Social
Movements.

-Alternative Social Movement

-Redemptive Social Movement
-Reformative Social Movement
-Revolutionary Social Movement
 Alternative Social Movement- are at the individual
level and advocate for minor change.
 Redemptive Social Movement- are
at the individual level and advocate
radical changes.
 Reformative Social Movement- occur at a broader
group or societal level and advocate for minor changes.
 Revolutionary Social Movement- occur at a broader
group or societal level and advocate for radical change.