Anders Uhlin

Lund University, Dep of Political Science, Faculty Member

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Anders Uhlin is professor of Political Science at the Department of Political Science, Lund University, Sweden. His main research interests are in the fields of civil society, transnational activism, global governance, and democratization.
Address: Bjarred, Skåne, Sweden

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Papers by Anders Uhlin

Civil Society Boundary Crossing and Elite Integration

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Civil Society Elites: Field Studies from Cambodia and Indonesia

NIAS Press eBooks, May 15, 2023

H aving for a long time engaged in research about on the one hand civil society and on the other ... more H aving for a long time engaged in research about on the one hand civil society and on the other hand political and economic elites in Southeast Asia, we began to find the civil society/elite dichotomy increasingly problematic. Viewing civil society actors as always opposed to the "elite" simply did not seem to fit with the reality in many contexts. Moreover, the simplistic distinction between civil society and elites, which has so far been prevalent in research as well as practitioner discourses, overlooked the influence and impact of some civil society leaders in wider society. These reflections were the starting point for the research project Civil Society Elites: New Perspectives on Civil Society in Cambodia and Indonesia that involved researchers from Lund University, Sweden, researchers from Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia, and researchers in Cambodia. This book reports the main findings of our joint research within this project. We thank all contributors for their dedicated work over the years. We have also benefited from excellent external input at workshops and conferences. Moreover, we are very grateful to all the research participants in Cambodia and Indonesia who have taken their time to answer our questions in interviews. Additionally, we are most grateful for the constructive peer review feedback and to our editor and the publishing team at NIAS Press for their support and professional handling of the book. We also extend our gratitude to the Swedish Research Council whose generous funding has made the book possible. Finally, we would like to thank our families. Astrid thanks her family for their support during the writing and editing of the book, and Åsa, Moit, Francis and Leander for their company during fieldwork. Amalinda thanks Randu and his father for their insurmountable support and tolerance, in writing and completing the book. Anders thanks Alva and Ameli for their love and patience.

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Practices of (De)legitimation in Global Governance

Oxford University Press eBooks, Jul 28, 2022

Civil Society Activism Beyond the Nation State

Routledge eBooks, Feb 17, 2023

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Civil society, the state, and other arenas

Transnational Activism in Asia

1. New Perspectives on Transnational Activism 2. State Power and Transnational Activism 3. Govern... more 1. New Perspectives on Transnational Activism 2. State Power and Transnational Activism 3. Governance Regimes and the Politics of Discursive Representation 4. Transnational Activism, Institutions, and Global Democratization 5. World Citizenship and Transnational Activism 6. Transnational Activism and Electronic Communication: Cyber-Rainbow-Warriors in Action 7. Putting Transnational Activism in its Place: HIV/AIDS in the Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore Growth Triangle and Beyond 8. Transnational Activism by Malaysians: Foci, Tradeoffs, and Implications 9. Transnational Activism and the Pursuit of Democratization in Indonesia: National, Regional and Global Networks 10. 'Democratization' in Taiwan and Its Discontents: Transnational Activism as a Critique

The Interplay between Delegitimation and Legitimation

Oxford University Press eBooks, Jul 28, 2022

Development and the external dimension of regime transitions

Elites’ (De)legitimation Practices toward International Organizations

Global studies quarterly, Apr 1, 2023

Research on legitimacy of international organizations (IOs) has often focused on discursive self-... more Research on legitimacy of international organizations (IOs) has often focused on discursive self-legitimation by IOs. This article explores the role of other (de)legitimizing actors. Distinguishing between elites of different political and societal sectors, we use unique data from a survey of 860 political and societal elites in Brazil, Germany, the Philippines, Russia, South Africa, the United States, and a global elite group, to perform the first systematic analysis of elites' (de)legitimation practices toward IOs. We analyze behavioral as well as discursive practices that may boost or challenge citizens' legitimacy beliefs toward IOs, and describe how elites' repertoires of (de)legitimation practices vary across IOs, elite sectors, and geographical locations. Explanatory analyses test whether the use of legitimation and delegitimation practices can be explained by characteristics of the interviewed elites. We find that most elites engage in (de)legitimation of IOs. Legitimation is more common than delegitimation. While discursive practices are more frequently used, behavioral practices are more widespread than acknowledged in previous research. Societal elites are more frequent (de)legitimizers of IOs than assumed in more state-centric accounts of global governance. Attitudes of elite individuals (confidence in the IO and ideological position) partly explain engagement in (de)legitimation. By providing the general pattern of elite (de)legitimation of IOs, the article sets the scene for more detailed case studies of diverse (de)legitimation practices toward specific IOs. Anders Uhlin is a Professor of Political Science at Lund University. His main research interests are in the fields of civil society activism and global and regional governance institutions.

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Transitions from Authoritarian Rule during 1989-1991

During the last decade there has been an almost global trend towards democracy. This wave of demo... more During the last decade there has been an almost global trend towards democracy. This wave of democratization is also reflected in a great deal of recent research 1. Whereas an influential research project of the 70s had the title The Breakdown of Democratic Regimes (Linz & Stepan 1978), the most influential research project in this field in the 80s is, Transitions from Authoritarian Rule (O'Donnell, Schmitter & Whitehead 1986). Since this work was published the trend has been even more accentuated with further democratization in Latin America, the breakdown of the communist regimes in Eastern Europe and in the Soviet Union, and increasing demands for democracy in Asia and Africa. In this study we will focus on these processes of democratization and/or liberalization as they have manifested themselves around the world. What is interesting is to what extent such processes have actually occurred and, which factors are relevant for the development of such processes. Three main questions will guide the study: Which countries have experienced a process of democratization, and/or liberalization during 1989-91? Why is it that some authoritarian political systems of the world experience these processes of democratization and/or liberalization while others remain authoritarian? What are the characteristics of a successful transition to democracy? On the basis of these three questions, we will test some general hypothesis that are relatated to the question of democratization, such as the importance of socioeconomic development, communication, geographical position, political systems, religion, and colonial heritage. Important in this respect is also whether changes have occurred as a result of initiatives from above or pressures from below, and if there has been any use of violence. We will make a quantitative study including 107 independent states of the world, thereby including all major countries which were not stable democracies in 1988. The study will be limited in time to 1989,1990, and 1991. This limitation is motivated by the many interesting events concerning democratization/ liberalization that have taken place in the world during this time.

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Global Democratization : Transitions from Authoritarian Rule 1989-1991

Conclusion: Democratic Requirements and Trade-offs in a Transnational Context

Civil Society and Problems of Democratization in Post-Communist States

Litteraturgranskning, Samuel P Huntington: The Third Wave. Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century

Democratic Credentials of Transnational Actors: An Introduction

Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2010

From 7 to 18 December 2009, Copenhagen was the site of the 15th UN Climate Change Conference (COP... more From 7 to 18 December 2009, Copenhagen was the site of the 15th UN Climate Change Conference (COP15). Official delegates representing 192 states gathered to discuss how to meet the challenge of global climate change. While formal decision-making power rested with state representatives, a large number of non-state transnational actors (TNAs) were active in Copenhagen. Not only did a transnational epistemic community of scientists play an important role; representatives of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) were also granted access to the conference as observers. As such, they were heard in plenary discussions, hosted side events and press conferences, and were invited to contribute specialist submissions to negotiations. The participation of many of the NGO activists from around the world was made possible by funding from philanthropic foundations supporting an environmental agenda. Moreover, business interests had a strong presence at the conference. On the official conference website (http://en.cop15.dk/), a number of transnational corporations (TNCs) (such as BMW, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, and SAS) were presented as sponsors of the event. Climate Consortium Denmark was the official focal point for Danish business-related activities leading up to the conference. Representatives of TNCs participated in a number of panels and workshops. Other types of TNAs tried to influence the conference from outside. Various transnational social movements mobilized people for demonstrations and other protest activities, questioning the legitimacy of the state representatives and their ability to agree on international cooperation to meet the challenge of climate change. On 12 December, an estimated 40,000 people joined a mostly peaceful march toward the suburban conference center.

Legitimacy Beyond the State?: Re-examining the Democratic Credentials of Transnational Actors

List of Tables Foreword Notes on Contributors PART I: SETTING THE SCENE Democratic Credentials of... more List of Tables Foreword Notes on Contributors PART I: SETTING THE SCENE Democratic Credentials of Transnational Actors: An Introduction E.Erman & A.Uhlin Democratic Legitimacy of Transnational Actors: Mapping out the Conceptual Terrain A.Uhlin PART II: DEMOCRATIC CREDENTIALS OF DIFFERENT TRANSNATIONAL ACTORS Democratic Legitimacy of Transnational Corporations in Global Governance D.Fuchs, A.Kalfagianni & J.Sattelberger Democratic Legitimacy of Philanthropic Foundations: US Grant-Making in the Middle East A.Vogel Good Morals or Good Business? NGO Advocacy and the World Bank's 10th IDA C.Pallas Transnational Social Movements and Democratic Legitimacy B.Beauzamy Diaspora Groups, Transnational Activism and Democratic Legitimacy C.Kinnvall & B.Petersson PART III: DEMOCRATIC PROBLEMS AND POSSIBILITIES IN A TRANSNATIONAL CONTEXT Democratic Credentials or Bridging Mechanisms? Constituents, Representatives and the Dual Politics of Democratic Representation E.Peruzzotti Why Adding Democratic Values Is Not Enough for Global Democracy E.Erman Conclusion: Transnational Actors and Global Democracy E.Erman & A.Uhlin Index

Post-Soviet Civil Society: Democratization in Russia and the Baltic States

... Music and Society under Lenin and Stalin The baton and sickle Edited by Neil Edmunds 10 State... more

Renewing Global Governance: demanding rights and justice in the global South

Third World Quarterly, Oct 1, 2012

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Civil Society Protest and the (De)Legitimation of Global Governance Institutions

Oxford University Press eBooks, Aug 23, 2018

This chapter turns attention to civil society protest as a specific delegitimation practice vis-à... more This chapter turns attention to civil society protest as a specific delegitimation practice vis-à-vis global governance institutions. The authors argue that, while existing research has commonly portrayed protest as a challenge to the legitimacy of global governance institutions, when and how this delegitimation happens is not well theorized. To advance such understanding, the chapter proposes a distinction between protests that target an institution as a whole (diffuse protest) and protest targeting particular processes and policies of the institution (specific protest). The chapter also distinguishes between protest by actors that the global governance institution recognizes to be a significant audience and protests by actors which lack this status.

Conclusion: Transnational Actors and Global Democracy

Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2010

This concluding chapter elaborates on the findings of the volume and raises a number of issues pe... more This concluding chapter elaborates on the findings of the volume and raises a number of issues pertaining to normative theorizing on democracy beyond the state. Drawing on the individual chapters, it offers a comprehensive analysis of the different democratic requirements applicable to different types of transnational actors (TNAs). We discuss the question of whether different kinds of TNAs necessarily have to be democratic in the same way and to the same extent. We also pay attention to potential trade-offs between different democratic values. Moreover, we analyze the potential roles of TNAs in global democracy, considering formal and informal tracks for linking constituencies to political authority. One principle underlying much scholarship on global democracy — including this volume — is the all-affected principle. A problem in the contemporary debate, however, is that this principle is vaguely defined and presupposed rather than problematized and carefully elaborated. In light of the empirical and theoretical contributions of this volume, we revisit this debate with the aim of sorting out some of the issues that are in need of further attention. We also discuss how the market economy may relate to global democracy, an issue highlighted by the prominence of market actors — not only civil society actors — among the TNAs influencing global governance. It is argued that more normative theoretical work needs to be done in addressing the role of market actors in global democracy. Finally, after having devoted the whole book to issues of democratic legitimacy, we conclude with a brief discussion of other sources of legitimacy linked to TNAs and global governance, which are in need of further elaboration.

Civil Society Boundary Crossing and Elite Integration

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Civil Society Elites: Field Studies from Cambodia and Indonesia

NIAS Press eBooks, May 15, 2023

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Practices of (De)legitimation in Global Governance

Oxford University Press eBooks, Jul 28, 2022

Civil Society Activism Beyond the Nation State

Routledge eBooks, Feb 17, 2023

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Civil society, the state, and other arenas

Transnational Activism in Asia