Civil society from individual to community

Civil Society could emerge only under the conditions of modernity. As a resultof the critiques of the projects of modernity since 1960s, the concept of civil societywas turned into ?the ideology of civil society?. At the same time, as a political structureof modernity, the central power and the rule of the nation-state has been questioned. Inthe name of democracy, and with the ideology of civil society, identity politics emergedas a very central issue of the present. Political ruling elite have not taken decisions forthe sake of citizens but for the sake of global capital. Because of this, the citizens losttheir belief in political elite. This development created a space in society which was tobe filled up by non-government organizations.During this new era, an opportunity emerged for the individuals to developpolitical practices in civil society organizations. These organizations apparently aimedat developing democracy but in fact they supported identity politics. Once identity isoveremphasized by these organizations, the problem of the togetherness of peopleemerged. Cultural identities have come to the fore as a result of the neo-liberaltransformations since the 1980s in the world that seriously effected Turkey. Afterwardsthe civil organizations started developing politics on the basis of identity and thereforemicro nationalisms reemerged. As an important result of these developments, thenation-state has been questioned and it lost much of its power. In the name ofdemocracy these organizations have shaken national collectivities. Civil society hasbeen taken as an important unit in social democracy. As a result of this transformation,civil society lost its real functions.