COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LIST FOR POLI 366: POLITICS AND CIVIL SOCIETY IN GHANA

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DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON

POLI 366: POLITICS AND CIVIL SOCIETY IN GHANA

COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LIST: SECOND SEMESTER, 2014/2015

LECTURER: KWAME ASAH-ASANTE

TEL: O241987479

EMAIL: rasahte@yahoo.com

rasah-asante@ug.edu.gh

COURSE OUTLINE AND READINGS

COURSE TITLE	POLITICS AND CIVIL SOCIETY IN GHANA
COURSE CODE	POLI 366
PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES	The nexus between politics and civil society has long been established in Ghana. Beginning from pre-independence era up to-date, especially during the latter years of the first Republic through the long years of state decay and political repression, the involvement of civil society in the politics of the country has been significant. However, this feat has not been achieved without problems. In the pre-independence period for instance, due to the ethno-religious and partisan interests of some civil society organizations, their activities were generally, somehow, viewed in the negative light. However, the proliferation of civil society groups, organized around political interests in recent times, has served as a bulwark against unbridled state power. Indeed, the active participation of such organizations in the current democratic system in Ghana has resulted in a transformation in civil society-state relations. This course will focus on six main topics namely, the concept of civil society, democracy, good governance and civil society, globalization and civil society, theories of civil society, the nonprofit sector and civil society in Ghana.
WEEK NO.	DATE	LECTURE TOPIC	TUTORIALS	VENUE	ASSESSMENT
1	06/02/15	The Concept of Civil Society		Central Cafeteria
2	13/02/15	The Concept of Civil Society		Central Cafeteria
3	20/02/15	The Concept of Civil Society		Central Cafeteria
4	27/02/15	Democracy, Good Governance and Civil Society		Central Cafeteria
5	06/03/15	Democracy, Good Governance and Civil Society		Central Cafeteria
6	13/03/15	Globalization and Civil Society		Central Cafeteria
7	20/03/15	Globalization and Civil Society		Central Cafeteria	Continuous Assessment
8	27/03/15	The Nonprofit Sector		Central Cafeteria
9	03/04/15	Theories of Civil Society		Central Cafeteria
10	10/04/15	Theories of Civil Society		Central Cafeteria
11	17/04/15	Civil Society in Ghana		Central Cafeteria
12	24/04/15	Civil Society in Ghana		Central Cafeteria
13	01/05/15	Civil Society in Ghana		Central Cafeteria
14	REVISION
15-17	EXAMINATION (70%)

Core Readings

1. Edwards, M. ed. (2011) The Oxford Handbook of Civil Society (Oxford: Oxford University Press), Chapters 1, 2, 3,4, 5,  8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17.
2. ________(2009) Civil Society, 2^nd ed., (Cambridge: Polity Press), Chapters 1-6.

3.      Gyimah-Boadi, E. et al (2000) Civil Society Organizations and Ghanaian Democratization CDD-Ghana Research Paper No. 6

4. Gyimah-Boadi, E and Oquaye, M. (2000) Civil Society and Domestic Policy Environment in Ghana CDD-Ghana Research Paper No. 7
5. Drah, F.K. and Oquaye, M. (1996) Civil Society in Ghana (Accra: Gold-Type Ltd).

6.      Brako, I. & Asah-Asante, K. (2014) The ABC of Political Science (Accra: Black Mask), Chapter 6.

7.      Smith, B.C. (2007) Good Governance and Development (London: Palgrave Macmillan).

8.      Glasius, M., Lewis, D. and Seckinelgin, H. (2004) Exploring Civil Society: Political and Cultural Contexts (London: Routledge), Chapters 1, 2, 17, 21 and 22.

9. Seligman, A.B. (1992) The Idea of Civil Society (New York: The Free Press), Chapters 1, 2 and 3.
10. Germain, R.D. and Kenny, M. (2005) The Idea of Global Civil Society: Politics and Ethics in a globalizing Era, (London: Routledge), 1-4, 9.

11.  Bevir, M. (2007) Encyclopaedia of Governance Vol. 1 (London: Sage Publications)

12.  _____(2009) Key Concepts in Governance (London: Sage Publications)

13.  Florini, A. M. and Simmons, P.J. “What the World Needs Now?” In Florini, A.M. ed. (2000) The Third Force: The Rise of Transitional Civil Society (Washington. D.C.: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)

14. Drah, F.K. (1993) “Civil Society and the Transition to Pluralist Democracy”, in Ninsin, K.A, and Drah, F.K. (eds.) Political Parties and Democracy in Ghana’s Fourth Republic, (Accra: Department of Political Science).
15. Hyden, G., Court, J. and Mease, K. (2004) Making Sense of Governance (London: Lynne Rienner Publishers), pp.56-74.

Other Readings

1. Chazan, N. (1988) “Ghana: Problems of Governance and the Emergence of Civil Society” In Larry Diamond et al (eds.) Democracy in Developing Countries (Boulder, Colorado: Lynne Rienner Publishers), pp. 93-132.
2. Ninsin, K.A. (1998) “Civic Associations and the Transition to Democracy in Ghana” In K.A. Ninsin (ed.), Ghana: Transition to  Democracy (Accra: Freedom Publication), pp. 20-69.
3. Bratton and Bayart, quoted in Gyimah-Boadi, E., et al., “Civil Society and Ghanaian Democratization”, CDD-Ghana Research Paper No.6, Accra, September 2000.
4. Kaldor, M. (2003) Global Civil Society: An Answer to War (Cambridge: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.), pp. 1-108.
5. Cohen, J.L. and Arato, A. (1992) Civil Society and Political Theory (London: The MIT Press), Chapter 9.
6. Afolayan, F. “Civil Society, Popular Culture and the Crisis of Democratic Transitions in Nigeria” (1999) In Jonathan Hyslop (ed.) African Democracy in the Era of Globalization (Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press), ppp. 72-92.
7. “Civil Society, Democratization, and State Building in Kenya and Tanzania” In Kidane Mengisteab and Cyril Daddieh (eds.) State Building and Democratization in Africa (Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers), pp. 183-197.
8. Elmakki, E. M. (2003) “Role of Civil Society and Other Stakeholders in Democratic Governance in Africa” Paper presented at the 7^th Annual Conference of the Development Policy Management Forum, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. pp. 199-206.
9. Camay, P. And Gordon, J.A. (2004) Evolving Democratic Governance in South Africa (Johannesburg: The Co-operative for Research and Education), pp. 209-226, 375-410.
10. Schraeder, P.J. (2000) African Politics and Society (Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s), pp. 217-238.
11. Chandhoke, N. “Civil Society” Development in Practice, Vol. 17. No. 4/5 (Aug., 2007). pp. 607-614.
12. Gyimah-Boadi, E. (2004) “Civil Society and Democratic Development”, in Gyimah-Boadi, E, (ed.) Democratic Reform in Africa: The Quality of Progress (Boulder and London: Lynne Rienner Publishers).
13. Geremek, B, (1996) “Civil Society Then and Now”, in Diamond, L, and Plattner, M.F. (eds.) The Global Resurgence of Democracy (Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press)
14. Clausen, T. (1996) “Minding the Gap?: State-Civil Society Relations in Ghana’s Fourth Republic”, in Ayee, J.R.A., (ed). The 1996 General Elections and Democratic Consolidation in (Ghana, Accra: Gold Type Ltd.).
15. Gyimah-Boadi, E. (2000) “Stakeholders Participation and Civic Inclusiveness and Sustained National Development”, Paper Presented at ECOWAS Ministerial and Anti-Corruption Meeting, Accra.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

1. The course will last for thirteen weeks. 
2. Each class will have a two-hour lecture in addition to a one-hour tutorial per week.
3. To ensure effective teaching and learning, lectures will be organized in an interactive manner. Students will be allowed to ask and answer questions in class.
4. There will be a Continuous Assessment (CA) test and end of semester examination. The test will take place at the end of the Seventh week. The CA test will carry 30 per cent of the final examination mark. The end of semester examination will carry 70 per cent. During this examination, students will be required to answer three essay questions.