Civil Society: Ernest Gellner

The International Encyclopedia of Civil Society creates a framework for cross-disciplinary communication by providing succinct summaries of concepts and theories, definitions of terms, biographical entries, and organizational profiles.  It will also serve as a guide to sources of information, and an overview of the contours of civil society, social capital, philanthropy and nonprofits in different parts of the world, and across cultures and historical periods.   The key purpose of the encyclopedia is to provide a common set of understandings and a terminological and analytical starting point for the future development in the growing field of civil society studies worldwide. At the international level, the encyclopedia will represent the most systematic intellectual stocktaking of a growing and rapidly developing field.