In search of the non-profit sector. I: The question of definitions

Abstract

In this paper we argue that the lack of attention to the third sector historically is primarily a result of the weakness and limitations of the concepts that are used to define and describe it. The purpose of this article is to remedy this situation by developing a general definition of the sector that can be used in comparative research. To do so, the article first identifies four alternative types of definitions that are potentially available and evaluates each in terms of three basic criteria. On this basis it concludes that the most useful definition is the 'structural/operational' one, which includes in the non-profit sector organisations that share five basic characteristics. These are: formal, private, non-profit-distributing, self-governing and voluntary. The basic definition is then tested against the realities of three disparate countries and found to perform quite well. On this basis we recommend the structural/operational definition, particularly for comparative, crossnational research. A glance across the institutional landscape of the world reveals often striking differences in the way human beings organise themselves for social, economic and political action.

Characteristics of the Nongovernmental Sector in Latvia

“…Researchers Salamon and Anheier (1992) and Lewis (2014) point out that historically, when organisations were engaged only in tackling social assistance problems, the situation was much simpler; however, with the scope of their activity expanding to other fields, such as culture, agriculture, politics etc., there is no single approach in the world that would allow classifying all organisations, as any organisation can be engaged in a number of fields -they are different in size and scope, thefield of their activity is diverse as well as the models developed are not adaptive to changes in the activity of the organisations. An essential problem of classification is the real goal of activity of an organisation.…”

Engagements with a Productively Unstable Category: Anthropologists and Nongovernmental Organizations

“…Also crucial to the gradual growth in respectability of NGO research has been the peripheral influence of the field of interdisciplinary "nonprofit studies" that emerged (mostly) in North America and Europe at around the same time as interest in "NGO studies" was gaining ground (Billis 1993;Salamon andAnheier 1992a, 1992b). The rise of peer-reviewed multidisciplinary academic journals such as Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly and Voluntas served to institutionalize the field within the university sector (a trend that did not materialize within the counterpart field of "NGO studies"), and this arguably led to a more theoretically informed social science around the subject of nonstate actors and "civil society" (albeit one in which there were few anthropologists present).…”

How do Civic Associations Foster Political Participation? The Role of Scope and Intensity of Organizational Involvement

“…Civic associations are organized and governed by private individuals in their capacities as citizens who are concerned with public matters (Andrews et al 2010;Salamon and Anheier 1992). They depend on members' voluntary efforts for management and operation.…”