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International Social Work
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What's this?

Democratic language and neo-liberal practice

The problem with civil society

Michael Lavalette

University of Liverpool School of Sociology and Social Policy, Eleanor Rathbone Building, University of Liverpool, Bedford St South, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK, M.Lavalette{at}liverpool.ac.uk

Iain Ferguson

University of Stirling, Department of Applied Social Sciences, Colin Bell Building, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK

English

Social workers need to be wary of an uncritical acceptance of the concept of civil society. Despite its democratic veneer it is being utilized by international financial institutions and governments as a cover for privatizing health and welfare services both in the South and in much of the North.

French

Les travailleurs sociaux doivent se montrer prudents envers l’acception non critique de la notion de socié té civile. En dé pit de son vernis dé mocratique, ce terme est en fait utilisé par les institutions financiè res internationales et les gouvernements pour masquer la ré alité de la privatisation des services de santé et d’aide sociale dans les pays du Sud ainsi que dans bon nombre de pays du Nord.

Spanish

Trabajo social necesita ser cauto de la aceptació n sin criticismo del concepto de sociedad civil. A pesar de su apariencia democrá tica el concepto ha sido utilizado por instituciones financieras internacionales y gobiernos para ocultar la privatizació n de salud y servicios sociales tanto en el sur como en el norte.

Key Words: civil society • NGOs privatization • social movements • state • third sector

International Social Work, Vol. 50, No. 4, 447-459 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0020872807077906
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