The hidden side of local self-organisation and self-regulation : Elements for the comparative analysis of the constitution of self-organised groups

Abstract

Abstract: en The notions self-organisation and self-regulation are at least implicitly loaded with a positive democratic connotation. The main corresponding debates on social move-ments, governance and civil society mostly refer to the Global North with a well-func-tioning state and democratic political systems. One consequence is that the less dem-ocratic and less liberal hidden side of self-organisation, seen by some critics, does not gain much attention. After a short discussion of the main theoretical approaches, the paper presents a se-lection of self-organised groups depicting their different values, norms, and structural features. These examples reach from democratic groups marked by solidarity to racist violent groups that are a threat to differently minded people. The analysis of these examples leads to a set of criteria for the comparative analysis of the internal structure of self-organised groups including potential membership, in- and outward orienta-tion, underlying basic principles of social order and types of trust with related types of decision-making. These basic elements help to understand the constitution and functioning of self-organisation, which are open to a wide range of value orientation.

Keywords: Selbstorganisation; Staat; Lokal; Konflikt; 1w; 3w; hippies; Ruanda; Afrika; Israel; europa; USA; Ku klux klan; governance; zivil; Gesellschaft; hist; Religion; Kibbutz

Title: The hidden side of local self-organisation and self-regulation : Elements for the comparative analysis of the constitution of self-organised groups
Publication type: Working paper
Language: English
Series: LoSAM Working Papers
Funded by: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
Date: 2021
Number in series: 6
pages: 42 S.
Relation: FOR 2757: Lokale Selbstregelungen im Kontext schwacher Staatlichkeit in Antike und Moderne