Doctoral Dissertation Research: Democratizing Civil Society: Participation, Local Politics, and Community-Based Organizations in Tanzania

博士论文研究：坦桑尼亚的民主化公民社会：参与、当地政治和社区组织

• 批准号: 0425240
• 负责人: Ronald Aminzade
• 金额: $ 0.75万
• 依托单位: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-08-15 至 2006-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0425240&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Democratizing; Civil

This dissertation research investigates the activities, opportunities, achievements, limitations, and implications of a particular type of third sector organization operating at the local level in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: the community-based organization (CBO). Whereas the third sector comprises a wide range of organizations - i.e., those which are neither part of the state nor part of the business sector - operating at different levels and pursuing various goals, the term CBO refers specifically to groups formed by individuals for the purpose of improving the conditions of a geographically bounded area, such as a street, neighborhood, or village. The project focuses on CBOs as a means to explore theoretical issues that revolve around development, democratization, and the concept of participation. The research is proceeding in two phases: Phase one involves the in-depth analysis of two CBOs. Methodologically, the researcher is using open-ended and structured interviews, participant observation, and textual analysis to gather data and probe the debates in the literature. Phase two of the project entails the collection of primary data from all CBOs operating in Dar es Salaam. This consists of approximately one hundred organizations spread across the city's three municipalities. The researcher will utilize structured interviews, textual analysis, and statistical analysis. The knowledge gained during both phases of the research and from this combination of methods will allow the researcher to address the broader debate concerning the potential of participation in third sector organizations to contribute to sustainable development and democratic social relations. The research contributes to the social science literature in three distinct ways. First, it explores issues that are central to development studies, where increased attention to participation in third sector organizations has arisen from the perceived poor performance of the public sector in developing countries and the desire to find more effective and efficient organizational forms for the delivery of goods and services. Second, the project advances our understanding of the process of democratization. That is, analysis of third sector organizations operating at the local level will illuminate their capacity to extend and strengthen civil society, increase opportunities for popular participation, and challenge the monopolistic tendencies and poor performance of the state. Third, the research demonstrates both the methods and the importance of looking at micro-level phenomena as a means to understand macro-level transformations. The research will have broader impacts beyond its contribution to the social science literature. Specifically, the findings and conclusions should be of particular interest to those who determine the course of development and democratization in countries undergoing significant economic and political change: professionals in multilateral development agencies, consultants, government officials, and academics. By contributing to an informed policy debate, the research will assist those who endeavor to build the capacities of third sector organizations and to create an enabling environment for their activities.

本文研究了坦桑尼亚达累斯萨拉姆地方一级的一种特定类型的第三部门组织：社区组织（CBO）的活动、机会、成就、限制和影响。第三部门包括范围广泛的组织，即既不属于国家也不属于商业部门的组织，它们在不同层次上运作，追求不同的目标，而CBO一词专门指由个人组成的团体，目的是改善地理上有界限的地区，如街道、社区或村庄的条件。该项目将社区组织作为一种探索围绕发展、民主化和参与概念的理论问题的手段。研究分两个阶段进行：第一阶段对两个cbo进行深入分析。在方法上，研究人员使用开放式和结构化访谈，参与式观察和文本分析来收集数据并探讨文献中的争论。该项目的第二阶段需要收集在达累斯萨拉姆开展业务的所有基层组织的主要数据。这包括分布在该市三个自治市的大约100个组织。研究人员将利用结构化访谈、文本分析和统计分析。在研究的两个阶段以及从这种方法的组合中获得的知识将使研究人员能够处理有关参与第三部门组织对可持续发展和民主社会关系作出贡献的潜力的更广泛的辩论。该研究以三种不同的方式为社会科学文献做出了贡献。首先，它探讨了发展研究的核心问题，其中由于认为发展中国家公共部门的业绩不佳，以及希望找到提供货物和服务的更有效和更有效率的组织形式，人们越来越关注第三部门组织的参与。第二，该项目促进了我们对民主化进程的理解。也就是说，对在地方层面运作的第三部门组织的分析将阐明它们扩展和加强公民社会的能力，增加民众参与的机会，并挑战国家的垄断倾向和不良表现。第三，本研究证明了将微观现象作为理解宏观层面转变的手段的方法和重要性。这项研究将产生更广泛的影响，而不仅仅是对社会科学文献的贡献。具体地说，在经历重大经济和政治变革的国家中，决定发展和民主化进程的人，即多边发展机构的专业人员、顾问、政府官员和学者，应特别关心这些调查结果和结论。通过促进知情的政策辩论，这项研究将有助于那些努力建设第三部门组织的能力和为其活动创造有利环境的人。