State Welfare and the Development of Voluntary Action: The Case of Ireland, North and South

Abstract

at the Centre for Voluntary Action Studies at the University of Ulster and funded by the Royal Irish Academy, it is argued that the way that voluntary and community organizations developed in Ireland's two jurisdictions after the partition of the island in 1922 illuminates debates on the role of states in structuring the civic space in which voluntary action occurs. It illustrates, in particular, the interaction of state policy drivers with the cultural and ideological forces that shape voluntary action. Analysis lends support to the view that state action, together with cultural trends and social capital resources, is the crucial determinant of how the voluntary sector develops in a jurisdiction.

“Profoundly Ungrateful”: The Paradoxes of Thatcherism in Northern Ireland

“…By the twenty‐first century, more than 5000 NGOs existed (NICVA 2002). Now referred to as the “community” or “third” sector, such groups are estimated to employ between 3.99 to 4.5 percent of the workforce (Acheson et al 2005; NICVA 2002). NGO numbers increased dramatically during the 1980s as state subsidy was increased.…”

Why do people use food banks? A qualitative study of food bank users in an English city

“…Since the mid-1990s the distinction between the statutory and voluntary sectors has become increasingly blurred. The need to contain the costs of statutory services, coupled with a communitarian desire to build social capital by incorporating charitable and not-for-profit organisations into statutory service provision, has led to the commissioning of voluntary sector organisations to deliver services previously provided by the state, (Acheson et al 2005). While voluntary organisations have often benefitted from this additional source of funding, it has also embroiled them in binding contracts, service agreements, and codes of practice.…”

“…A related question, raised by Acheson et al (2005) is whether extensive civic engagement and the generation of social capital influence the form of welfare provision and the role of voluntarism within it, (Putnam, 2000), or conversely whether it is the state that determines the extent and form of organisations in civil society, (Foley and Edwards, 1999). This question can be applied to FBs, do they offer a means of transforming welfare provision, or do they simply duplicate the existing form of statutory services through a process of co-option?…”

Understanding Constraints on Nonprofit Leadership Tactics in Times of Recession

“…The creation of a robust voluntary and community sector is due in many ways to this perceived injustice. The Catholic Church through the late 19th and early 20th centuries was essential to setting up a parallel extrastate system of schools and health care (Acheson, Harvey, Kearney, & Williamson, 2004; Birrell & Murie, 1980). This process accelerated through the Troubles as accessing state services could be construed as a political statement; nationalists developed their own systems of transportation (ubiquitous black taxis), crèche, youth development, and counseling.…”

“…The current difficulties for the voluntary sector are juxtaposed against fantastic growth in the past 25 years. Since 1986, it has more than doubled (Acheson et al, 2004) and now totals 4,700 organizations for a Northern Irish population of 1.75 million (NICVA, 2009). Currently 26,737 individuals are employed in the sector, making it 3.7% of the total workforce (NICVA, 2009).…”