Civil Society in Greece: Traditionally Weak, Abruptly Powerful ?Asteris HuliarasProfessorDepartment of Political Science and International RelationsUniversity of Peloponnese

A strong civil society is positively correlated to

Performance of democratic institutionsInstitutional developmentEconomic activity and growthSocial networks of civil engagementCollective prosperity

Two types of civil societyPositiveWidespread reciprocalsocial and economic relationships.Characterized bybridging or generalisedsocial capital acrossgroups andcommunities.NegativeTrust only the immediatekin, neighbours and community members.Characterized bybonding or particularizedsocial capitalwithin the same group orcommunity.

Greek Civil Societyis generally considered weakVarious empirical studies have shown that the levels of interpersonal trust and trust in institutions are in general much lower in Greece than in other west European countries. Also nationalist sentiments and negative sentiments towards other national or ethnic groups tend to be relatively to other countries high.

Active Citizenship Indicator (Based on the European Social Survey)

Why Greek civil society is weak ?Lower level of economic developmentChristian Orthodox cultureHistorical development (irregular process of political integration)Vertical clientelistic networksOpportunistic political cultureDensity of family tiesHighly interventionist state Dominance of political partiesLack of civic educationHighly individualistic social normsHighly materialist attitudesEfficiency of the stateLevel of corruption

December 2008 riotsA 15-year old student was fatally shot by a police officer. Protest activity by the youth later led into widespread civil unrest. They were probably the worst riots modern Greece has seen. Solidarity clashes followed in many European cities.

No obvious message Damage estimated 130 mn $French riots of 2005Budapest clashes 2006A new era of networked protests (photos and videos were posted online almost in real time)

Explanations:Frustration with democratic politics (especially corruption)Increase in extra-institutional forms of political participation facilitated by the internet and mobile phones Very high unemployment rates among the youth (21%)Lack of other avenues of civic participationTradition of street politics (memetism)Vendetta policeRise of post-materialist values

Can the economic crisis strengthen social capital / civil society ?YesMake citizens question the wisdom of the governing elites. Promotes political participation. Encourages new forms of solidarity and civic participation. Undermines traditional norms and values that hinder co-operation. NoStrengthens only negative social capital: family ties. Increases anti-migrant sentiments. Promotes individualist strategies. Undermines the ability of NGOs to raise funds.

New social cleavagesClientelism has declined as the main tool of political legitimization Nationalism(s) is/are on the rise The Right/Left cleavage is losing its importanceA generation cleavage is becoming more salient Vertical hierarchies are being replaced by horizontal networks