How to Establish a Study Association: Isomorphic Pressures on New CSOs Entering a Neo-Corporative Adult Education Field in Sweden

Abstract

This article aims to increase understanding of how the institutional model of a (neo) corporative state meets new forms in a changing civil society. This objective is accomplished by analyzing two case studies of Swedish organizations entering into the field of government-subsidized popular education: one youth organization and one Muslim organization. The institutionalist concepts isomorphism, isopraxism, isonymism, packaging and translation are used to analyze these. Empirically the article is based on qualitative analysis of interviews, observations and written documents. It is concluded that the translation of popular education as an organizational concept in these cases is characterized by coercive and mimetic isomorphism, isopraxism and isonymism to an extent that hinders development in the popular education field. There are also examples of emerging packaging changing the relationship between state and civil society. That issue, however, requires further qualitative research, as does the influence of corporatism on civil society organization in general.Résumé Le présent article vise à une compréhension accrue de la manière dont le modèle institutionnel d'un état néo-corporatif prend des formes nouvelles au sein d'une société civile en pleine transformation. Cet objectif est accompli par l'analyse de deux études de cas d'organisations suédoises intégrant le secteur de l'éducation populaire subventionnée par le gouvernement : une organisation pour la jeunesse et une organisation musulmane. Les concepts institutionnalistes d'isomorphisme, d'isopraxisme, d'isonymisme, de présentation et de transfert sont utilisés pour les analyser. L'article se fonde empiriquement sur une analyse qualitative d'entretiens,

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