Mapping the Civil Society in Macau.

This paper aims to answer the basic question of whether or not a civil society has ever come into existence in Macau with a time focus on the 1990s and after. The question is a justified one if the idea of civil society is taken seriously. Civil society is commonly defined as the arena outside of the family, the government and the market where people associate to advance common interests. In terms of composition, it comprises a network of voluntary associations, and informal groups and activities. Recent literature has further distinguished between civil society and political society (where political society is organized to gain political power), and investigated the importance of discursive activities and the internet to the strengthening of civil society. In terms of functions and potentials, civil society represents an autonomous realm, independent of state control, and provides the basis for social movements and political opposition. Macau, although not deprived of associational life, is famous for its patron-client politics and consensual politics until very recently. So, if there is a civil society in Macau, then in what forms has it been articulated? How vibrant and powerful is it? What importance has it had to the democratization in Macau? What dominant political values have been upheld by it, and in what ways are these values conducive to democratization? Overall, the paper sheds light on the developments, potentials and constraints of Macau’s civil society in relation to democratization. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]