Civil Society Organizations in the Hybrid Regime of Nicaragua

1 - Cover [Seite 1]
2 - 1. Introduction [Seite 11]
2.1 - 1.1 Motivation [Seite 11]
2.2 - 1.2 Research questions and objectives [Seite 14]
2.3 - 1.3 Methods and case selection [Seite 15]
2.4 - 1.4 Roadmap [Seite 16]
3 - 2. Theoretical considerations [Seite 19]
3.1 - 2.1 Hybrid regimes (democratization studies) [Seite 19]
3.1.1 - 2.1.1 The debate [Seite 20]
3.1.1.1 - 2.1.1.1 From a bipolar world order . [Seite 20]
3.1.1.2 - 2.1.1.2 . to democracy with adjectives . [Seite 23]
3.1.1.3 - 2.1.1.3 . towards hybrid regimes [Seite 26]
3.1.2 - 2.1.2 Defining hybrid regimes [Seite 28]
3.1.2.1 - 2.1.2.1 Their context of origin: The third wave [Seite 28]
3.1.2.2 - 2.1.2.2 Their features: An ambiguous political nature [Seite 29]
3.1.2.3 - 2.1.2.3 Their prospects: Persistence [Seite 31]
3.1.3 - 2.1.3 Empirical evidence and proliferation [Seite 32]
3.1.4 - 2.1.4 Current questions and research gaps (bringing in civil society) [Seite 36]
3.2 - 2.2 Civil society organizations (CSOs) [Seite 38]
3.2.1 - 2.2.1 Fundamentals [Seite 38]
3.2.2 - 2.2.2 An inextricable link? CSOs and democracy [Seite 41]
3.2.3 - 2.2.3 A paradox? CSOs in nondemocratic settings [Seite 44]
3.2.3.1 - 2.2.3.1 The civil society approach: CSOs as agents of democratization [Seite 45]
3.2.3.2 - 2.2.3.2 Global third sector research: The heterogeneity of civic organization [Seite 47]
3.2.3.3 - 2.2.3.3 The regime approach: Civic organization in authoritarian regimes [Seite 50]
3.2.4 - 2.2.4 Conclusion: Context matters! [Seite 54]
3.3 - 2.3 Synthesis [Seite 55]
3.3.1 - 2.3.1 Research gaps [Seite 55]
3.3.2 - 2.3.2 Definitions [Seite 56]
3.3.3 - 2.3.3 Further procedure [Seite 58]
4 - 3. Research design [Seite 60]
4.1 - 3.1 A qualitative approach [Seite 60]
4.1.1 - 3.1.1 Qualitative case studies [Seite 60]
4.1.2 - 3.1.2 Selecting a case: Nicaragua [Seite 61]
4.1.3 - 3.1.3 Procedure: A field study split in two phases [Seite 62]
4.2 - 3.2 Data collection [Seite 65]
4.2.1 - 3.2.1 Methods used [Seite 65]
4.2.2 - 3.2.2 Selection of interview partners [Seite 67]
4.2.2.1 - 3.2.2.1 Part I: Background study (expert interviews) [Seite 67]
4.2.2.2 - 3.2.2.2 Part II: Interviews with CSO leaders [Seite 70]
4.2.3 - 3.2.3 Problems and pitfalls encountered during data collection [Seite 72]
4.3 - 3.3 Data evaluation [Seite 73]
4.3.1 - 3.3.1 Qualitative content analysis [Seite 73]
4.3.2 - 3.3.2 CAQDAS / MAXQDA [Seite 74]
4.3.3 - 3.3.3 The coding process [Seite 76]
5 - 4. Introduction to the case [Seite 78]
5.1 - 4.1 Historical background: From independence to the Sandinista Revolution [Seite 78]
5.2 - 4.2 The evolution of hybrid regime structures since 1990 [Seite 80]
5.3 - 4.3 Nicaragua's political system [Seite 82]
5.4 - 4.4 A short history of Nicaraguan civil society [Seite 83]
5.4.1 - 4.4.1 Popular organization in the Revolution [Seite 83]
5.4.2 - 4.4.2 The boom of NGOs and the institutionalization of civil society [Seite 86]
5.4.3 - 4.4.3 The new millennium: CSOs under pressure [Seite 88]
5.5 - 4.5 The legal framework for civic organization [Seite 90]
5.6 - 4.6 The present Nicaraguan CSO sector [Seite 92]
6 - 5. The context [Seite 96]
6.1 - 5.1 The political-institutional dimension [Seite 97]
6.1.1 - 5.1.1 Daniel Ortega's hyper-presidentialism [Seite 97]
6.1.2 - 5.1.2 Reasons for the President's popularity [Seite 100]
6.1.3 - 5.1.3 Nicaragua's democratic performance over time [Seite 102]
6.2 - 5.2 The socio-economic dimension [Seite 105]
6.3 - 5.3 The socio-cultural dimension [Seite 109]
6.4 - 5.4 Summary [Seite 112]
7 - 6. The challenges [Seite 113]
7.1 - 6.1 Political-institutional challenges [Seite 113]
7.1.1 - 6.1.1 The Nicaraguan government's conception of civil society [Seite 114]
7.1.2 - 6.1.2 The government's strategies towards CSOs [Seite 117]
7.1.2.1 - 6.1.2.1 Strategy 1 [Seite 117]
7.1.2.1.1 - 6.1.2.1.1 Persecution [Seite 118]
7.1.2.1.2 - 6.1.2.1.2 Administrative harassment [Seite 120]
7.1.2.1.3 - 6.1.2.1.3 Denying access and information [Seite 121]
7.1.2.1.4 - 6.1.2.1.4 Monitoring and restricting international cooperation [Seite 123]
7.1.2.2 - 6.1.2.2 Strategy 2 [Seite 125]
7.1.2.2.1 - 6.1.2.2.1 Co-optation [Seite 126]
7.1.2.2.2 - 6.1.2.2.2 Promoting loyal organizations [Seite 127]
7.1.2.2.3 - 6.1.2.2.3 Substitution [Seite 129]
7.1.2.3 - 6.1.2.3 Strategy 3 [Seite 130]
7.1.3 - 6.1.3 Summary: Political-institutional challenges [Seite 132]
7.2 - 6.2 Socio-economic challenges [Seite 133]
7.2.1 - 6.2.1 A population occupied with making ends meet [Seite 133]
7.2.2 - 6.2.2 A sector dependent on international support [Seite 135]
7.2.2.1 - 6.2.2.1 Donors' influence on the formal structure of CSOs [Seite 136]
7.2.2.2 - 6.2.2.2 Donors' influence on topics and working fields [Seite 138]
7.2.2.3 - 6.2.2.3 Donors' unassertive attitude towards the Nicaraguan government [Seite 140]
7.2.2.4 - 6.2.2.4 The withdrawal of donors [Seite 142]
7.2.3 - 6.2.3 Summary: Socio-economic challenges [Seite 144]
7.3 - 6.3 Socio-cultural challenges [Seite 144]
7.3.1 - 6.3.1 Lack of expertise and appreciation within the population [Seite 144]
7.3.2 - 6.3.2 Deficiencies of CSOs [Seite 146]
7.3.2.1 - 6.3.2.1 Persistence of autocratic structures and values [Seite 146]
7.3.2.2 - 6.3.2.2 Lack of solidarity and cohesion within the sector [Seite 147]
7.3.2.3 - 6.3.2.3 Failure to sell their merits to the population [Seite 148]
7.3.3 - 6.3.3 Summary: Socio-cultural challenges [Seite 149]
8 - 7. The sector [Seite 150]
8.1 - 7.1 The three-part division of the Nicaraguan CSO sector [Seite 150]
8.1.1 - 7.1.1 Critical CSOs [Seite 151]
8.1.2 - 7.1.2 De-political CSOs [Seite 152]
8.1.3 - 7.1.3 Party-loyal CSOs [Seite 153]
8.2 - 7.2 Comparison of CSOs and their narratives [Seite 155]
8.2.1 - 7.2.1 Short description of samples [Seite 155]
8.2.1.1 - 7.2.1.1 Sample A (critical CSOs) [Seite 155]
8.2.1.2 - 7.2.1.2 Sample B (de-political CSOs) [Seite 156]
8.2.1.3 - 7.2.1.3 Sample C (party-loyal CSOs) [Seite 157]
8.2.2 - 7.2.2 Members and their motivation [Seite 158]
8.2.2.1 - 7.2.2.1 Sample A: Engagement as a way of life [Seite 158]
8.2.2.2 - 7.2.2.2 Sample B: Engagement between profession and vocation [Seite 159]
8.2.2.3 - 7.2.2.3 Sample C: Advocates for the poor [Seite 160]
8.2.3 - 7.2.3 Their concept of civil society [Seite 161]
8.2.3.1 - 7.2.3.1 Sample A: Civil society as civic resistance against authority [Seite 162]
8.2.3.2 - 7.2.3.2 Sample B: Civil society as a technical term [Seite 163]
8.2.3.3 - 7.2.3.3 Sample C: Civil society as a »modus vivendi« for neoliberals [Seite 164]
8.2.4 - 7.2.4 Their agenda and meta-objectives [Seite 166]
8.2.4.1 - 7.2.4.1 Sample A: The broader struggle for democracy [Seite 166]
8.2.4.2 - 7.2.4.2 Sample B: Structural societal and economic change [Seite 169]
8.2.4.3 - 7.2.4.3 Sample C: Empowering the poor [Seite 171]
8.2.5 - 7.2.5 Perception of challenges [Seite 173]
8.2.5.1 - 7.2.5.1 Sample A: State repression and lack of support in an increasingly conflictive context [Seite 173]
8.2.5.2 - 7.2.5.2 Sample B: Inter-organizational and structural socioeconomic deficits [Seite 175]
8.2.5.3 - 7.2.5.3 Sample C: Overcoming the socio-economic legacies of the neoliberal past [Seite 177]
8.2.6 - 7.2.6 Strategic positioning [Seite 179]
8.2.6.1 - 7.2.6.1 Sample A: The last force able to promote democracy [Seite 179]
8.2.6.2 - 7.2.6.2 Sample B: Neutral service providers [Seite 181]
8.2.6.3 - 7.2.6.3 Sample C: Part of the continued Revolution [Seite 182]
8.3 - 7.3 Summary [Seite 185]
9 - 8. Discussion [Seite 188]
9.1 - 8.1 A sector under pressure [Seite 188]
9.2 - 8.2 A (functional) typology of CSOs in the hybrid regime of Nicaragua [Seite 191]
9.2.1 - 8.2.1 The critical opposition: Fighters for liberal democracy isolated and in factual decline [Seite 191]
9.2.2 - 8.2.2 The service providers: Fostering the socio-economic foundations of democracy . without questioning the current status quo [Seite 194]
9.2.3 - 8.2.3 The satellites: »Popular organizations« . completely dependent on the party in power [Seite 199]
9.3 - 8.3 Implications for the related fields of research [Seite 203]
10 - 9. Conclusion [Seite 207]
10.1 - 9.1 Summary of results [Seite 207]
10.2 - 9.2 Critical reflection on the research process and remaining questions [Seite 211]
10.3 - 9.3 Country perspectives Nicaragua [Seite 213]
11 - 10. Annex [Seite 216]
11.1 - 10.1 Figures [Seite 216]
11.2 - 10.2 Tables [Seite 216]
12 - 11. References [Seite 217]
12.1 - 11.1 Printed publications [Seite 217]
12.2 - 11.2 Electronic sources [Seite 228]