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Civil Society in Post-Soviet Countries
This encyclopedia entry discusses the contested understanding of the notion of civil society on a global scale. This essay suggests differentiating the definitions of civil society in the Western and Eastern tradition. Lately, the idea of civil society was conceptualized in Western tradition as an aggregation of a plethora of charities and politically engaged nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). This encyclopedia entry argues that cultural context defines civil society institutions and suggests new conceptualization of civil society suitable for Eastern tradition. The entry discusses the distinguishing features of civil society in Russia, which can be found in many other Post-Soviet countries and, generally, in most countries of Eastern tradition.