Picture Source: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3AXBAzRnTdA/maxresdefault.

jpg

What is Civil Society?

Think about the country that you live in –what does it take to make that country operates
smoothly? The government takes care of law and order and businesses offer goods and services in
exchange for money, which both help to keep a society moving. But what about other groups, like
churches or the parent-teacher association (PTA), how do they contribute to your society? These other
groups actually play a very big part in how your country operates, and they fall into a category known
as civil society.
A civil society is comprised of groups or organizations working in the interest of the citizens
but operating outside of the governmental and for-profit sectors. Organizations and institutions that
make up civil society include labor unions, non-profit organizations, churches, and other service
agencies that provide an important service to society but generally ask for very little in return.
Civil society is sometimes referred to as the civil sector, a term that is used to differentiate it
from other sectors that comprise a functioning society. For example, the United States is made up of
three sectors: the public sector, which is the government and its branches; the private sector, which
includes businesses and corporations; and the civil sector, which includes the organizations that act
in the public's interest but are not motivated by profit or government.
In so many cases, it can be hard to know what organization falls into which sector and why.
This is because so many of these groups tend to work in collaboration with one another in order to
serve the public. Looking at some examples of what falls into a civil society and how they contribute,
should help to bring more clarity.
On a global scale, organizations from civil society play an incredibly important role. In the
aftermath of a disaster, such as Hurricane Katrina or the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, groups like the
American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity were instrumental in serving those affected and helping
them get back to normal. These groups are considered Non-Governmental Aid Organizations (NGOs),
which provide assistance to people for little or no fee. NGOs fall into the category of civil society
because they are not operated by the government, are very often reliant on donations, and tend to be
comprised of volunteers.
Another example of civil society at work is civic groups, such the Rotary Club or Kiwanis. In
the United States, these are groups that are made up of people from the community who volunteer
their time in order to raise money to community projects or needs. Though these groups tend to be
much smaller than NGOs, they are important because they represent the ordinary citizen contributing
to the overall well-being of their community.

Source: http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-a-civil-society-definition-examples.html
READING QUESTIONS
I. Match the definition on the left column with the word on the right column.
1. The action of working together with others to produce or a. civil society
create something.
2. People who freely offer to take part in an enterprise or to undertake b. collaboration
a task.
3. The quality of coherence and intelligibility. c. reliant
4. Social relations and organizations outside the state or d. volunteers
governmental control.
5. To be dependent on someone or something. e. clarity

II. Answer these following questions!

1. Name two examples of organizations that make up a civil society!
2. What does a civil society do?
3. What is another name for a civil society?
4. According to the text, the United States comprises of three sectors. Name them!
5. Why is it difficult to find out which organization falls into which sector?
6. Which two organizations were very helpful in helping with those who were affected by
Hurricane Katrina in 2010?

III. Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F). Correct the false one.
1. Businesses are parts of a civil society. T F
2. Kiwanis is a large NGO from Haiti. T F
3. A civil society helps a country run smoothly. T F
4. A civil society provides significant support to its community, but it does T F
not ask for anything much in return.
5. All organizations that form a civil society only operate locally. T F

IV. Reading Discussion (Group Work)

1. Provide three examples of organizations that form a civil sector in your community!
2. What does each of them do?
3. What kind of an NGO does your community need the most and why?
4. When you finish school and start working, at which sector do you want to work and
why?