The Voluntary–Community Sector and Political Development in Northern Ireland,Since 1972

This paper traces the development of the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland from the early 1970s onwards. Particular attention is given to the expansion of the voluntary and community sector in the 1970s, community action in conflict with government in the 1980s, and new funding--from the European Union and other international sources--for development work since the mid-1990s. More recent trends discussed include the rapprochement of the voluntary and community sector with government, which has seen a growth in formal partnerships and networking, as well as the impact of the 1998 Belfast Agreement.     

Advocacy and Service Delivery in the Voluntary Sector: Exploring the History of Voluntary Sector Activities for New Minority and Migrant Groups in East London, 1970s–1990s

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations - In the 1970s, the voluntary sector acted as a key space for advocacy and support for communities that were marginalised...     

Personal Narratives of Family and Ethnic Identity: Orangewomen in Scotland and England,c.1940–2010

Using interviews with 10 Orangewomen from England and Scotland, this article analyses how women could articulate a sense of ethnic identity through membership of the Orange Order during the second half of the twentieth century. What emerged from their reflections was a sense of how Irish Protestant identity interacted with, and was shaped by, Scottish, English and British identities. This article argues that these women's identity was rooted, for most, in a family background in Scotland and Ireland, which was strongly intertwined with their membership of the Orange Order. The example of the female Orange Order demonstrates that identities can be formed through the close interplay of family and ethnic associational life, suggesting ways in which historians of migration might further explore the interaction of migrants' public and private lives.     

Settlers: New Zealand Immigrants from England,Ireland and Scotland 1800–1945

Shamit Saggar, Race and Politics in Britain (London: Harvester Wheat‐sheaf, 1992). Pp.xxi + 236. ISBN 0 7450 1206 X

Virginia Yans‐McLaughlin (ed.), Immigration Reconsidered: History, Sociology and Politics (New York, Oxford University Press [USA], 1990). Pp.viii + 342. £11.95. ISBN 0 19 505511 X

Gary P. Freeman and James Jupp (eds.), Nations of Immigrants: Australia, the United States and Migration (Melbourne, Oxford University Press [Australia], 1992). Pp.xi + 250. £15.95. ISBN 0 19 553483 2     

Erratum to: Dependent Interdependence: The Complicated Dance of Government–Nonprofit Relations in China

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations -     

The Evolution of Third Sector Research and the Journal Voluntas: The Editors’ Impressions

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations -     

The Application of Game Theory in Collective Behavior: A Critique of Berk's “Gaming Approach”

Abstract

The game theory approach to collective behavior is examined in this paper by critiquing Richard A. Berk's application of it (1974). Given relative payoffs for different action choices, game theory may offer certain solutions for actors; however, Berk's use of game theory falls short of these solutions. Using matrices to present actors' payoffs is the only appropriate application of game theory used by Berk. A more proper application of game theory solutions to the same payoff values from Berk's work shows how an emergent norm approach might better fit the empirical problem than Berk's contagion approach.     

The Brewers and Public Relations History, 1909–1919

In 1909, the American brewing industry's trade association, the United States Brewers' Association, launched its first year book to serve as an educational resource for those concerned about temperance and prohibition. Over the next 10 years, these year books revealed communication efforts that more closely resembled a modern approach to influencing public sentiment, such as the consistent use of 4 key messages, research on local option persuasion campaigns, and a relationship-building outreach program in the form of the Barley Campaign. This study, then, not only contributes to the historical scholarship concerning the role of trade associations in public relations history, but, in its departure from the timeline approach to understanding the field's development, it also contributes to the ongoing theory building in public relations history.     

A comparative overview of social enterprise ‘ecosystems’ in Scotland and England: an evolutionary perspective

Social enterprise has been identified as a culturally and socially constructed phenomenon; over recent years there has been increasing focus on how social enterprise ‘ecosystems’ differ across countries. There has been less focus on the differences in social enterprise ecosystems within countries, where regional differences in the cultural, political and social environment can lead to variations in the environment for support. Recent devolution within the United Kingdom has led to all four countries developing fairly diverse political and policy environments. This paper explores these differences through the lens of evolutionary theory which posits that within an ecosystem all organisms are a product of the evolution of that ecosystem and that socio-political and regulatory differences can lead to the rapid divergence of social enterprise ecosystems.     

Sports,Poverty and the Role of the Voluntary Sector. Exploring and Explaining Nonprofit Sports Clubs’ Efforts to Facilitate Participation of Socially Disadvantaged People

Despite several decades of Sport for All policies, opportunities for sports participation are still unequally divided, with certain socially disadvantaged groups having less access to sports. To reduce this gap, structural efforts are needed. A question that arises is what role nonprofit sports clubs can fulfill in this matter. In this study, first, it is explored how nonprofit sports clubs perceive their role and responsibility towards socially disadvantaged groups and how they act on it. Second, it is investigated which factors predict the presence or absence of efforts from nonprofit sports clubs for lowering barriers. For this second question, we focus on people living in poverty. Data are based on a survey among 580 nonprofit sports clubs throughout Flanders (Belgium). The findings indicate that the human resources capacity of the club is not the main barrier. It is argued that local sports authorities and sports federations have an important part to play in supporting and encouraging sports clubs in terms of social inclusionary policies, for example by instilling awareness.     

Governing Civil Society: The Political Logic of NGO–State Relations Under Dictatorship

This paper attempts to take the first steps toward developing a theory of non-governmental organizations (NGO)–state relations under dictatorship. Drawing on evidence from East Asia, the author argues that dictatorships typically employ one of two strategies in attempting to govern NGOs. First, some dictatorships follow a corporatist strategy, in which business associations, development, and social welfare organizations are co-opted into the state and controlled through a variety of strategies. Second, other dictatorships pursue an exclusionary strategy in which NGOs are marginalized and replaced with state institutions. Variation in the strategy chosen may be explained by differing levels of elite competition and the type of development strategy. Single-party states tend to regulate elite conflicts better and thus often choose corporatist strategies. In personalist regimes dictators tend to fear the organizational and mobilizational potential of NGOs and thus tend to pursue exclusionary strategies. This choice, however, is conditioned by the development strategy employed, as socialist development strategies reduce the incentives to allow NGOs.     

The Role of Active Listening in Teacher–Parent Relations and the Moderating Role of Attachment Style

This study tested the perceived effectiveness of “Listening-Ask questions-Focus on the issue–Find a first step” method (McNaughton et al., 2008) in a parent–teacher conversation using a scenario study (N?=?208). As expected, a scenario based on this method compared with a scenario of a conversation omitting the four steps of the method was perceived both by teachers and parents as more effective (d?=?1.43). Moreover, it was hypothesized that the effectiveness of this listening method would be found largely among secure participants. Indeed, the findings suggested that anxious people were less sensitive to the manipulation. Research hypotheses regarding avoidant attachment style were not supported, suggesting that more research is needed to better understand the moderating role of attachment style.     

Comparing child protection decision-making in England and Finland: supervised or supported judgement?

ABSTRACT

Systems for the protection of children have evolved differently across nation states. Studies have identified contrasting system ‘orientations’, related to how child protection problems are framed and how organisations respond in different contexts. In this study, the influence of national and organisational factors on practice-level decision reasoning by social workers has been compared. Interviews were conducted with 30 child protection social workers in sites across England and Finland, structured around two hypothetical case vignettes. While similarities were observed in how the social workers responded to the vignettes, there were differences in the nature and extent of managerial involvement described, with the English social workers appearing to rely on managerial input for decision-making to a greater extent than the Finnish social workers. These findings suggest evidence for two distinct organisational approaches to decision-making: ‘supervised’ and ‘supported’ judgement. Here, supervised judgement describes a hierarchical, ‘top-down’ form of decision-making, while supported judgement describes a more horizontal and shared decision-making approach. The lens of comparative methodology has revealed how these organisational factors come into play in different child protection systems. The practice implications of supervised, manager-led approaches to decision-making, as contrasted with supported, team-led approaches, are discussed.     

Erratum to: The Long-Term Evolution of the Government–Third Sector Partnership in Italy: Old Wine in a New Bottle?

VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations -     

The Status of Online Public Relations Research: An Analysis of Published Articles in 1992–2009

This study was designed to identify trends, patterns, and academic rigor in research studies focusing on Internet-related public relations through a review of articles published between 1992 and 2009. ^{1 1}Please see the appendix for a bibliography of the 115 articles studied. This study examined the authorship, theoretical frameworks, methodological approaches, and research topics addressed in these published articles. Key findings suggested an increasing trend in the number of published articles, a lack of applied theoretical frameworks, a dominance of quantitative research, and an emphasis on use of the Internet in public relations.     

The Third Sector and Civil Society: The Case of the “YES” Campaign in Northern Ireland

The recent attention on civil society has brought new focus to the third sector. This welcomed attention accentuates the need to specify the role of the third sector in promoting civil society, generally, and in promoting democratic civil society, specifically. This paper describes and examines the YES Campaign that had roots in the third sector of Northern Ireland and which conducted a nonpartisan campaign to win approval for the Belfast Agreement of April 1998. The case of the YES Campaign illustrates some direct and intentional roles of third sector organizations in promoting a more democratic civil society, and offers a basis for further study of these roles.     

Polish-Jewish Relations 1903–1914: The View from the Chancellery

This article discusses Wajda’s discourse on class. First it identifies the most important problems the concept raises when applied to Wajda’s characters and narratives. Next, it discusses the director’s representation and evaluation of three types of characters: the intelligentsia, the working class, and individuals who fall in between these two groups. In addition, the article analyzes how the representation of class is influenced by Wajda’s attitude toward gender and ethnicity. It concludes that his attitude to the class system in Poland is conservative and identifies some of the factors that influenced him. This article is an exploration of these issues, rather than an analysis of his films. Priority is given to films set during and after the second World War.