Civil society as social control - State power in Jordan

Most approaches to civil society view formal associationalism as a mechanism of collective empowerment. However, under political liberalization from above civil society may act more as an instrument of state social control. Many Middle East regimes have encouraged civil organizations because they capture associational activities in a system of control predicated upon disciplinary and bureaucratic power. Collective action is channeled into managed and regulated civil organizations in which associationalism is carefully observed and monitored. Jordan, with its emphasis on nongovernmental organizations, demonstrates that transparent civil organizations, rendered pliant to regulation and oversight, can be used to enhance the regime's social control, even after political liberalization.