Routledge Handbook on Civil Society in the Middle East and North Africa

Routledge Handbook on Civil Society in the Middle East and North Africa provides a comprehensive and multidimensional exploration of civil society across the MENA region, tracing its historical emergence, diverse expressions, and contemporary transformations.

Moving beyond simplified narratives, the volume critically examines how civil society actors engage with power, navigate constraints, and shape sociopolitical change across vastly different national and regional contexts. Spanning the late Ottoman period to the post-Arab Spring landscape, this volume interrogates the evolution of civil society under conditions of colonial rule, authoritarianism, conflict, and economic liberalization. Contributors explore a wide range of themes - including feminist mobilizations, Islamist reformist movements, sectarian dynamics, humanitarian crises, and the growing role of grassroots activism - while also unpacking the influence of international actors, donor agendas, and transnational solidarities. Through rich case studies from Tunisia, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, and beyond, the handbook highlights both formal and informal modes of civic engagement: from NGO-ization and legal advocacy to migrant-led organizing, cultural resistance, and religious community networks. It challenges Eurocentric assumptions and introduces alternative conceptual frameworks that reflect the region’s complex realities, offering fresh insight into how state-society relations are contested, reimagined, and rebuilt across time and space.

This essential resource is ideal for scholars, students, and practitioners of Middle East politics, sociology, international relations, gender studies, and development. It will also serve anyone interested in understanding how civil society continues to resist, adapt, and reimagine itself in the face of authoritarianism and upheaval.