Global civil society and global governance: Co-opted or counter-hegemonic? Analyzing international NGO networks in the context of Gramscian theory

As gaps in the global governance system are limiting its capacity to control the adverse consequences of globalization for the well being of peoples around the world, many are expecting global civil society to address these gaps and provide the checks and balances needed to tame and humanize globalization. But can global civil society meet the challenge? Various models of global governance assign different roles to global civil society. In this study I focus on two contradictory models of global civil society in the global governance system that emerge from neo-Gramscian thought, and examine the structure of global civil society networks in light of their disparate predictions.; The first model posits that global civil society is co-opted by hegemonic capitalist and political elites, and serves in their interests by distributing neoliberal values and providing a facade of opposition, thus acquiescing resistance to the adverse consequences of globalization. The second model depicts global civil society as the infrastructure from which counter-hegemonic resistance, and ultimately a counter-hegemonic historic bloc will evolve.; The predictions each of the two models make regarding the structure of global civil society are presented and tested through network and spatial analysis of a matrix of links between 10,001 international NGOs, contrived through a purposive sample of ego-centric networks of INGOs from the database of the Union of International Associations. The analysis reveals the INGO network as generally cohesive, though fraught with inequality and constrained by under-representation of INGOs from developing nations.; The findings provide mixed support to both models, and lead to the conclusion that at present global civil society is in a transitional phase, but that the current infrastructures embodied in the networks of INGOs are conducive to the development of a counter-hegemonic historic bloc in the future, providing the northern bias in the global INGO network is decreased.; In conclusion the implications of the structure of INGO networks for the capacity of global civil society in alleviating the gaps in global governance systems are discussed, and future research and strategic steps needed to enhance this role that follow from the findings are suggested.