Indeed there is a need to view the civil society both as a structure (of organisation, social and political space and relationship) and also as a process (the ways in which the elements of structure come into being, and interrelate). In the wake of globalisation, introduction of the structural adjustment programme and paradigm shift in the social development strategy there has been an attempt to redefine the role of the state and the civil society. In the emerging scenario the emphasis has been (a) on the increasing roles of the civil societies “to take the burden off the state, by involving citizens and communities in the delivery of the collective goods” and (b) on “strengthening of the abilities and opportunities of civil society and local communities” to ensure the process of empowerment of the marginalised in society. However, in the contemporary development discourse, there has been a process of involvement of civil society organisations along with the state in the formulation and implementation of development initiatives. What have been the relationships of the civil society with the people on the one hand and the state on the other?
In the context of globalisation or otherwise there have been claims of universality of civil societies. It is argued at one point that specific economic, social and political conditions influence the growth and functioning of the civil societies and thereby it can’t be universal. On the other hand, there has been the argument that as there have been universal processes like modernisation, secularisation, democratisation, globalisations and so on the claim of universality of civil society has emerged to be a reality.
In view of the emergence of global social movement’s viz. human right, animal right, ecological and environmental etc. global civil society has been a reality. Phenomenal expansion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has smothered the global emergence and networking of civil societies as a social movement. In this backdrop, let us examine the interface between civil society and social movements.
There are important parallels between social movements and civil society initiatives. It is rather at times pointed out that civil society initiative is a variant of social movements. Here, before we go into identifying this variant(s), we should know the parallels.
i. Both social movements and civil societies are having structures like organisations, a well- identified leadership and ideology.
ii. Civil society initiatives and social movements are social processes, which undergo several stages of progression from mobilisation to intensive collective action.
iii. Both structures and the processes have support bases or bodies of followers who are mobilised through diverse means to get their objectives fulfilled.
iv. In general both social movements and civil societies pledge for change in established order of the society. However, many civil societies or social movements also well work to resist change in society. For example, many religious organisations pledge for the fundamentalist position in society.
v. Both civil society and the social movement occupy a civil space in society.
vi. The creation of a new collective identity is an essential part both of social movements and civil societies. Collective identities are evolved either based on certain issues or ideological choices. However, identities also get reconstructed or transformed through the processes of sustained mobilisation.
vii. Though a good deal of moral authority and idealism are attached to civil society activism and to social movements, at times both these processes are initiated by enterprising people for the maximisation of specific interests. Here both processes are amenable to caption by the state.
However, notwithstanding these parallels, social movements are broader categories or agencies. At times social movements look for a radical change by attacking the pre-existing power structure of society, e.g., the Naxalite movement. Civil society, on the other hand, looks for gradual change within the existing arrangement. Though civil society initiatives tend to be a political, many a time they ask political questions and political solutions through developmental activities. Indeed in the contemporary development discourse of development with empowerment, civil society division is very much involved in the political issues at the grassroots.

Source: sociologydiscussion