Refractions of Civil Society in Turkey

What happens when the concept of civil society moves from academia and policy contexts into other lives and worlds? Refractions of Civil Society in Turkey is a study of the makings, meanings, and magic of civil society. It explores how civil society as a social imagining is evoked and brought to life among civic activists in Turkey. The book illustrates that civil society is a contested concept which emerges as part of a social legitimacy struggle to represent authentic civil society. Moreover, the book shows that civil society becomes powerful because it constitutes a means for civic activists to experience themselves as authentic subjects.