The structure of the third, or independent sector, is analyzed in this paper from the perspective of its place in an integrated political economy. Using the method of John Dewey to distinguish acts that are public from those that are private, a set of propositions are developed regarding the close links between voluntarism and the acts of corporate and governmental institutions. This interrelated social reality is examined in terms of major approaches of social scientists. Functionalist approaches are found to predominate over interpretive, radical structuralist, and radical hu manist paradigms in the area of voluntary action research. Drawing on recent British experience, it is suggested that approaches to research might benefit from the development of a full-blown theory of mediating institutions. The paper concludes with a brief examination of policy issues in contemporary voluntarism, and points to the importance of what Meister has called the role of voluntary associations in contributing to self-management in a postindustrial society.
Although they are not likely to get much notice in the popular histories abounding with the new millennium, ideas produced by our recently concluded century abound concerning where charity, voluntarism, and the third sector fit into the common American story. Those who rely on these ideas to describe the realities they study or to justify favored policies may not be fully familiar with the paths by which these ideas came into common use. Nor is it widely known how these ideas were used in the past or what their connections were to other, seemingly different, conceptions that aimed to describe the same phenomena and relationships. In this article, we identify one key theme in the American story and briefly describe how it came about. We then proceed to illustrate why this idea seems to have persisted and, even where it is vigorously challenged, how it retains a major part of its influence.Note: All communication regarding this article should be sent to Jon Van Til,
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