Published: 2025-12-15

The Evolution of Civil Society in Western Democracy from a Cultural Perspective. The Model of Citizenship and Social Engagement – Present Reflections on Socio-Cultural Transformations and Their Consequences

Małgorzata Durzewska
Cultural Studies Appendix
Section: Artykuły
https://doi.org/10.21697/zk.2025.12.01

Abstract

This article presents the development of civil society, characteristic of contemporary democracies, from a cultural studies perspective. The topic of socio-cultural transformations is analyzed through the concepts of culture as a determinant of human social behavior, cultural patterns as guidelines for these actions, and patterns of citizenship as behavioral models for members of civil societies.

The paper discusses the stages of civil society development – from local through global to transcultural – as evidence of socio-cultural changes within the “praxis” of contemporary social movements and civic initiatives operating in an era of globalization, transculturalism and digital media. The identified changes in the ways civil society members operate, particularly in highly developed societies – mainly technologically advanced ones – reflect the contemporary shape of civil societies. It is proposed that they are referred to as “digitally mediated transcultural civil societies”, presenting a modern theoretical model for the next stage in the evolution of contemporary civil society.

Keywords:

civil society, cultural, socio-cultural changes, citizenship patterns, transculturality

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Durzewska , M. (2025). The Evolution of Civil Society in Western Democracy from a Cultural Perspective. The Model of Citizenship and Social Engagement – Present Reflections on Socio-Cultural Transformations and Their Consequences . Cultural Studies Appendix, (12), 13–43. https://doi.org/10.21697/zk.2025.12.01

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