Milka Ivanovska Hadjievska
Postdoctoral Fellow
Civil society elites’ challengers in the UK: A frontlash/backlash perspective
Author
Summary, in English
Amid growing polarisation in European societies, civil society elites, encompassing resource-rich, influential and often liberal-oriented civil society organisations (CSOs), are under increased attacks by conservative and progressive actors alike. This article aims to understand who challenges civil society elites, on what grounds, and with what means do they do so in the United Kingdom, by drawing on the cultural theory of frontlash/backlash. The article portrays two ideologically opposed challengers: one coming from within the charity sector in the form of the #CharitySoWhite campaign and another from outside the charity sector led by Conservative MPs, the Common Sense group. While these two challengers are not directly connected, they are part of the broader frontlash/backlash dynamic polarising public debates, with spillover effects in civil society. By applying a frontlash/backlash perspective, the article puts an emphasis on cultural cleavages as one of the central sources of polarisation in the civil space.
Department/s
- Department of Political Science
Publishing year
2022-12-05
Language
English
Publication/Series
British Journal of Politics and International Relations
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
Topic
- Political Science (excluding Public Administration Studies and Globalization Studies)
Status
Epub
Project
- Civil society elites? Comparing elite composition, reproduction, integration and contestation in European civil societies
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1369-1481