Civil Repair

Reviews / Votes

"Repair: really? According to Jeffrey Alexander, yes, really! Whether you still want to believe in its utopian promises, or see the civil sphere as the source of Western democracy's failures, this collection of essays on the challenges of the new millennium from one of the preeminent American social theorists of our time will help you - or maybe force you - to take a fresh look at social movements, politics, and social change."
Doug Hartmann, University of Minnesota

"With his civil sphere theory, Jeffrey Alexander offered us a decoder ring for the dizzying debates and deep divisions that shape modern democratic life. In his newest work, Civil Repair, he shows that amid this tumult determined groups of democratic actors have succeeded in their efforts to advance solidarity and justice. Though he is clear that these 'frontlash' projects of civil repair often trigger equally powerful spasms of 'backlash,' this book offers hope during a troubling time."
Ruth Braunstein, University of Connecticut

"Civil Repair (2024) represents another major building block of the author's Civil Sphere Theory (CST) - a framework for understanding what civil socity is, as well as what it could become."
The British Journal of Sociology