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Who's making global civil society: philanthropy and US empire in world society
Author(s) -
Vogel Ann
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the british journal of sociology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.826
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1468-4446
pISSN - 0007-1315
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-4446.2006.00129.x
Subject(s) - hegemony , civil society , globalization , sociology , democracy , citizenship , governmentality , capitalism , global citizenship , globe , interpretation (philosophy) , political economy , world history , reflexivity , empire , political science , social science , environmental ethics , law , politics , medicine , philosophy , computer science , ophthalmology , programming language
Theories of US hegemony commonly ignore the role of American philanthropy in the contemporary transformations of world society and the globalization of capitalism. In this essay, I suggest that the philanthropic foundation, and with it the institution of philanthropy, is being invigorated by the expansion of its domestic role to foreign activities and to globally framed activities within the USA. I propose that US philanthropy exports American understandings of democracy and simultaneously organizes global reflexivity through citizenship education for the US populace. I offer a preliminary theoretical interpretation of the empirical patterns of international grant‐making activities by US foundations, considering John W. Meyer's concept of ‘instrumental culture’ and some arguments made by Foucauldian ‘governmentality’ scholars. I emphasize the need to conceptualize the cultural‐symbolic and organizational dimensions of hegemony and suggest further sociological analysis of philanthropic activities as integral to current politically and economically led transformations of societies around the globe.