Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given at the end.
Civil society refers to all of the places where individuals gather together to have conversations, pursue common interests and, occasionally, try to influence public opinion or public policy. In many respects, civil society is where people spend their time when they are not at work or at home. For example, a group of people gather at a local park every Thursday afternoon for a game of football. Most of them arrive well before the game begins and stay for some time after it ends. Some of them go out for dinner or a drink after the game. In the course of their meetings, they talk about wide range of topics, including football but also extending to include issues such as work, family, relationships, community events, racial issues and politics. This kind of solidarity can be found in a variety of other places in civil society – such a sports clubs, bowling leagues, reading groups and social movements – where individuals get together to associate on the basis of some shared interest fostering more effective forms of citizenship. Even though people may come together on the basis of an interest they all share in common, they eventually have to develop protective strategies for dealing with conflicts and differences that emerge within the association. Teammates in a bowling league discover, on certain issues, significant differences of opinion. And yet, because the value the association and look forward to participating in its activities, they do not respond to these differences by exiting the scene. Instead, they search for the ways of interacting that will not threaten the solidarity of the group. In the process, they learn to appreciate and tolerate social differences, a valuable skill to have in an increasingly multicultural nation. They also develop a general sense of social trust and mutual obligation, which makes society function more efficiently (this is what political scientists and sociologists are talking about when they refer to the importance of social capital). Gathering together in an association, people begin to think about the shared private interest as a collective public interest, and they try to make sure that this public interest is safe and secure. For example, the group that gets together for a weekly football game begins to talk about the park as an important community resource; if they feel that the park is being mistreated or mismanaged, will organize a ‘save the park’ campaign to try to influence their local politicians and the other residents of the community. Recently, there has been growing concern that civil society is weaker than it used to be, because people or losing interest in joining associations. As citizens become increasing increasingly disconnected from voluntary associations, they will experience less trust and less social connection, and as a result political institutions will function less efficiently. However, some scholars opine that many people are simply choosing to participate in different kinds of associations with fewer face-to-face meetings but supplemented with which ‘virtual’ interactions facilitated by resources.

1. How does the author characterize the concept of civil society?
The author characterizes civil society as the places where individuals gather together to have conversations, pursue common interests, and occasionally try to influence public opinion or public policy. They also mention that civil society is where people spend their time when they are not at work or at home, such as sports clubs, bowling leagues, reading groups, and social movements.

2. Why does civil society strive towards better socialization driven by tolerance?
Civil society strives towards better socialization driven by tolerance because, as people gather in associations based on shared interests, they eventually have to develop protective strategies for dealing with conflicts and differences that emerge within the association. By learning to appreciate and tolerate social differences, individuals develop a general sense of social trust and mutual obligation, which makes society function more efficiently.

3. What do you understand by the term ‘Social Capital’ used in this passage?
The term 'Social Capital' refers to the value of social connections and the sense of trust and mutual obligation that develops within a society as a result of people gathering together in associations. This social capital is thought to make society function more efficiently.

4. Why does a civil society assume the role of public stake holder?
A civil society assumes the role of a public stakeholder because, as people gather together in an association and begin to think about the shared private interest as a collective public interest, they try to make sure that this public interest is safe and secure.

5. What impact is feared by the weakening state of civil society?
The weakening state of civil society is feared to have an impact on the decreasing trust and social connection among citizens, which in turn is expected to lead to less efficient functioning of political institutions. However, some scholars argue that people are simply choosing to participate in different kinds of associations with fewer face-to-face meetings but supplemented with virtual interactions facilitated by technology.