By "civil society" I personally am referring to people living in proximity, with shared situations, capable of face to face conversations--should they choose.
digraph { 0 [label="Civil\nSociety"] 1 [label="Public"] 2 [label="Private"] 3 [label="Coop"] 4 [label="Commons "] 5 [label="Associaation"] 6 [label="Volunteer"] 7 [label="Gift"] 8 [label="Open\nSource"] Appreciation [shape=circle; style=filled fillcolor=yellow] Influence [shape=ellipse; style=filled fillcolor=red] Control [shape=box; style=filled fillcolor=lightblue] Appreciation -> Influence -> Control [label=Contextualizes] 0->1 0->2 0->3 4->0 0->5 6->0 7->0 8->0 }
Definition 
- “the associational life operating in the space between the state and market, including individual participation, and the activities of non-governmental, voluntary and community organisations”
- “Civil society is an arena of voluntary collective actions around shared interests, purposes and values distinct from families, state and profit seeking institutions. The term civil society includes the full range of formal and informal organizations that are outside the state and the market – including social movements, volunteer involving organizations, mass-based membership organizations, faith-based groups, NGOs, and community-based organizations, as well as communities and citizens acting individually and collectively.”
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Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_society HEIGHT 400