Civil society in Syria and Iran : activism in authoritarian contexts

Bok av Paul Aarts
What are the dynamics of civic activism in authoritarian regimes? How do new social actors-many of them informal, ""below the radar"" groups-interact with these regimes? What mechanisms do the power elite employ to deal with societal dissidence? The authors of Civil Society in Syria and Iran explore the nature of state-society relations in two countries that are experiencing popular demands for political pluralism amid the constraints of authoritarian retrenchment.