Civil society studies are characterized by an “in-betweenness”, a positioning at “double borderlands”. Civil society is studied in connection with government and public sector or state actors in areas such as public-private innovation, participatory government or citizen activism. Civil society is also studied in relation to markets or the business sphere when it comes to corporate political activism or social entrepreneurship.

In this PDW, we aim to explore how these double borderlands are dealt with against a variety of disciplines and theoretical approaches. We invite in particular early career scholars to participate and want to help them advance their own research and projects in these areas.

Borderland studies of civil society (including associated forms of organizations, movements and groups) are situated across: political science and public administration, economics, sociology, organization and management studies, theology, history and philosophy. On the one hand, this variety of academic approaches results in an inspiring diversity with great potential for innovation. On the other hand, it may however also lead to unproductive fragmentation, confusing, contradictory terminology and lack of conceptual clarity leading that hinder the necessary accumulation of knowledge.