Is Germany All It's Cracked Up To Be? A Study Of Civil Society In Germany

Abstract

In this thesis, I examine the strength of civil society in Germany. Generally, "civil society" is informal community association, distinct from state and market interaction, through which citizens develop a sense of moral obligation. (For a much more involved explanation, see Chapter 1.) While many social critics agree that civil society in the United States is weak and declining, some suggest that Germany is a model of a stronger civil society. My purpose is to test the latter assertion. . . . Using Wolfe's book [Who's Keeper: Social Science and Moral Obligation] as a starting point, I began examining the body of civil society literature and criticisms of civil society theory (Chapter 1 ). From there, based on some comments by Wolfe and others, I used Wolfe's and Robert Putnam's statistical measures to find out whether Germany serves as an example of a strong civil society (Chapter 2). Thus, I ask the question "Is Germany all it's crack'd up to be?" Exploring this question has involved not only a check of whether Germany has the strong civil society some critics suggest it does, but also whether it is possible and desirable to have the system envisioned by civil society proponents. [From Introduction]