| dc.description.abstract | In this thesis I study the relationship between civil society, ideology and everyday practices as this is played out in an environmental youth NGO called PiM in Murmansk, Russia. The term civil society is a common reference in development aid programmes directed towards Russia, and as such is part of a process of constructing the other, e.g. the recipients of foreign aid. An analytical delineation is undertaken to distinguish between two different aspects adhering to civil society; civic society understood as the institutional and organisational framework advocating change, and civil society understood as a moral community. I find these two aspects to be linked to various elements of everyday practices in PiM, thus three levels of everyday practices in PiM are analysed (i) individual strategies and perceptions; (ii) internal organisational practices and cooperation between PiM and its Norwegian partner and; (iii) external organisational practices as PiM advocate change in environmental policies.
I find that among members of PiM, the possibility to gain personally from voluntary work is imperative, hence that accumulation of social capital is significant as PiM provides a platform in which members can access valuable capital, maintain networks and the like. Accumulation of social capital may also enhance PiM s operational skills, but as individuals compete for scarce resources, this accumulation may be parasitical to PiM s aim. PiM is to a significant degree subject to governance, and contributes to its own self-governance by adjusting to the demands of its Norwegian donor and partner. Thus, a relationship of dependency is created, where PiM is the weaker part. When PiM tries to advocate change in environmental policies it is by its adversaries such as politicians and industrial managers attributed to a subject position of ignorant persons, and treated as intruders in a field perceived as belonging to experts. The study of everyday practices in PiM shows that self-interest, dependency and powerlessness are at display, perhaps more so than altruism, equality and empowerment are. Hence, I hold that development aid programmes heading east may want to consider their notion of doing good. | nor |