Broadly speaking, The Oxford Handbook of Civil Society views the topic of civil society through three prisms: as a part of society (voluntary associations), as a kind of society (marked out by certain social norms), and as a space for citizen action and engagement (the public square or sphere).

Part 1. Introduction ; 1. Introduction, Michael Edwards ; 2. The History of Civil Society Ideas, John Ehrenberg ; Part 2. The Forms of Civil Society ; 3. The Non-Profit Sector, Steven R. Smith ; 4. Development NGOs, Alan Fowler ; 5. Grassroots Associations, Frances Kunreuther ; 6. Social Movements, Donatella Della Porta and Mario Diani ; 7. Social Enterprise and Social Entrepreneurs, Alex Nicholls ; 8. Global Civil Society, Lisa Jordan ; Part 3. Geographical Perspectives ; 9. Civil society in the United States, Theda Skocpol ; 10. Civil Society in Latin America, Evelina Dagnino ; 11. Civil Society in Post-Communist Europe, Marc Morje Howard ; 12. Civil Society in the Middle East, Eberhard Kienle ; 13. Civil Society in China, Jude Howell ; 14. Civil Society in India, Neera Chandhoke ; 15. Civil Society in Sub-Saharan Africa, Ebenezer Obadare ; Part 4. The Norms of Civil Society ; 16. Civil Society and Social Capital, Michael Woolcock ; 17. Civil and Uncivil, Clifford Bob ; 18. Civil Society and Civility, Nina Eliasoph ; 19. Civil Society and Equality, Sally Kohn ; 20. Civil Society and Diversity, Hilde Coffe and Catherine Bolzendahl ; 21. Civil Society and Religion, Donald E. Miller ; 22. Civil Society and Spirituality, Claudia Horwitz ; Part 5. The Spaces of Civil Society ; 23. Civil Society and Government, Nancy L. Rosenblum and Charles H.T. Lesch ; 24. Civil Society and Civil Liberties, Mark Sidel ; 25. Civil Society and the Public Sphere, Craig Calhoun ; 26. Civil Society and Public Work, Harry C. Boyte ; 27. Civil Society in the Digital Age, Roberta G. Lentz ; 28. Civil Society and Public Journalism, Charles Lewis ; 29. Civic Knowledge, Peter Levine ; Part 6. The Achievements of Civil Society ; 30. Civil Society and Democracy, Mark E. Warren ; 31. Civil Society and Poverty, Solava Ibrahim and David Hulme ; 32. Civil Society and Peace, Jenny Pearce ; 33. Civil Society and Power, John Gaventa ; 34. Civil Society and the Market, Simon Zadek ; Part 7. Supporting Civil Society ; 35. Civil Society and Institutional Philanthropy, William A. Schambra and Krista L. Shaffer ; 36. Civil Society and Grassroots Philanthropy, G. Albert Ruesga ; 37. Assisting Civil Society and Promoting Democracy, Omar G. Encarnacion ; 38. Conclusion, Michael Edwards

"This Oxford Handbook of Civil Society, happily, comes in well under $200, is spectacularly readable, and clearly earns every penny in both price and packaging. ... Michael Edwards, its editor, has taken on the daunting task over the past few decades of actually trying to understand one of the slipperiest ideas social scientists and philosophers have employed over the past few centuries. Edwards has written clearly on the subject, has funded research and action to enhance this understanding, and in this volume, calls upon a talented network of his colleagues to illuminate the civil society concept in a remarkable display of good sense and intellectual persuasion."--Jon Van Til, Rutgers University, for VOLUNTAS "The Oxford Handbook of Civil Society presents a kaleidoscope of views...The entries are concise and well-written, focusing on major issues of contention in academic debate, thus providing ideal readings for classes and for introduction to the topic."--CHOICE

Selling point: Edited by a leading expert in the field Selling point: Provides a transnational approach to the concept of civil society Selling point: Skillfully integrates theory and research with actual political practice

Michael Edwards is currently Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos in New York, Senior Visiting Scholar at the Robert F Wagner School of Public Service at New York University, and Senior Visiting Fellow at the Brooks World Poverty Institute at Manchester University in the UK. He is also the former Senior Advisor to World Bank on Civil Society and the former Director of the Ford Foundation's Governance and Civil Society Program.

Selling point: Edited by a leading expert in the field Selling point: Provides a transnational approach to the concept of civil society Selling point: Skillfully integrates theory and research with actual political practice