It’s a Wednesday night. You’re headed out to play basketball with some friends. Or maybe you’re headed to a book club. Or a neighborhood association meeting. Regardless, you’re getting together with other people—practicing community. These associations are all a part of what is known as civil society.
A quick Google search would define civil society as the "third sector" of society. It’s distinct from government and business and includes the private sphere and family relationships. Civil society organizations are also referred to as voluntary associations, civic associations, or membership-based organizations.
When individuals get together to pursue common purposes, they become a civil society organization—ta-da! Such organizations range from religious congregations to voluntary business associations to hobby groups.The internal dynamics of interactions among participants in such groups can vary greatly. Scholars of civil society have long been concerned with interactions among participants at meetings, events, and activities (which are also called “convenings”—more on this in another post).
Civil society organizations have been essential for the functioning of democracy. It may come as no surprise that by associating with others, we are expanding our understanding of self and the world. By participating in local communities, people are more likely to participate inlarger democratic processes, such as voting or running for political office.
For our specific research in observing civil society organizations in the room where they happen, an organization qualifies for inclusion if it:
- has nonprofit tax status (or is too small/informal to have any tax status) and
- has participants, at least half of whom are not staff, who co-create the organization’s content and
- holds at least three (3) qualifying convenings per year
To acquire our sampling frame, we used a database of community organizations collected by our local Monroe County library. We cleaned and enhanced the database and have randomly invited organizations to participate in The Bloomington Project for Observing Civic Engagement if they meet the above criteria.
More than 30 organizations are currently participating in our project in Bloomington. Organizations that have made their participation with the Observing Civic Engagement Lab public include
You can probably think of other civil society organizations in your city now. They might be formal groups like official nonprofits, religious congregations, or sports leagues, but they also include informal gatherings like book clubs, weekly poker nights, neighborhood associations, and dinner groups.
Such organizations bring people together under a shared goal, interest, or set of values. They knit the fabric of society together by not only providing spaces of community but also unique opportunities to develop civic skills like leadership, organization, and accountability.
What types of civil society organizations do you participate in? A hobby club? A religious organization? A nonprofit? We’d love to hear about your experiences! Send us an email at ocelab@iu.edu to share.
Do you want to learn more? Check out our papers on how we studied student organizations on a college campus and large urban improvement groups in Indianapolis.