Includes bibliographical references and index.

Augustus Richard Norton, 'The Future of Civil Society in the Middle East.' -- Raymond A. Hinnebusch, 'Civil Society and Democratization in Syria.' -- Laurie Brand, 'Democratic Experimentation and Civil Society in Jordan.' -- Muhammad Muslih, 'Palestinian Civil Society and the Palestinian State.' -- Mustafa Kamil al-Sayyid, 'Does Civil Society Matter in Egypt?' -- Ghanim al-Najjar & Neil Hicks, 'Civil Society Under Occupation in Kuwait.' -- Eva Bellin, 'Tunisian Civil Society.' -- Jill Crystal, 'Civil Society in the Gulf States.' -- Saad al-Din Ibrahim, 'Democracy and Authoritarianism in the Arab World.' -- Alan Richards, 'Economic Challenges in the Middle East.' -- Jillian Schwedler, 'Bibliographic Essay.'.

Launched in 1992, the Civil Society in the Middle East program has brought together dozens of leading scholars to analyze political life through an exploration of civil society within the states of the region. This is the first of two volumes to be published by Brill; it contains original studies of Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Syria, Tunisia, the West Bank and Gaza, as well as the prospects for democratization in the Arab world, the consequences of economic liberalization and contemporary Islamic thought on civil society and democracy. This first volume offers a wealth of new material on unions, political parties and professional syndicates, and other components of civil society, as the authors weigh the prospects for political reform in the Middle East, and provide readable yet richly informed assessments of state-society relations.

Description based on print version record.