Civil society and governance in housing: A study of the relationship between local government and civil society in the Polish cities of Wrocław and Poznań

Civil society is currently a popular concept in the political science literature, appearing across a number of different studies and sub-disciplines. Authors such as Deakin (2001) and Keane (1998) have discussed the widespread employment of the concept where its use ranges from discussions of global civil society in International Relations and the political economy, to civic renewal and social capital in studies of ‘Western’ democracies. In my work, I am responding to the notion of civil society as it is discussed in the literature concerned with democratic ‘consolidation’ or sustainability, particularly in relation to Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The other term in use in this paper: governance, is also a concept that has been widely used (as discussed by Hirst, P. in Pierre, J. (Ed.) (2000) and Pierre, J. & Peters, B. G. (2000)). Its use ranges from studies of public policy to those of development, and of financial institutions. However in this paper the notion of civil society employed may be related to governance in terms of the idea that an increased legitimacy in policy making may be achieved through the participation of ‘stakeholders’ in both the process and enactment of policies. Therefore in this way the concept of governance that is to be employed here is predominantly focused on the process as opposed to the structure. Through this process of the involvement of civil society, when defined as a republican / neo-liberal concept, civic culture may be built through the holding to account of government by civil society, the reaching of a consensus through a process of deliberation involving ‘stakeholders’; through all this democracy in turn may be sustained. In this way the aim of this paper is to shift the debate on civil society in CEE from a focus on the existence (or not) of civic values across society or the widespread existence of non-governmental organisations or members of such organisations, to a focus on the activity of the civil society that does exist in its relations with government and vice-versa, government’s relations with civil society. Thus, the paper will consider the role of civil society and government in the process of governance within housing, in Poland, as is currently taking place between local government and NGOs in two Polish cities. In doing this the paper will first establish the context for this study, in the literature on civil society and democratic sustainability in CEE. Secondly, it will introduce