Nature of Relations between the Nonprofit Sector and the State

Résumé du document

The idea of civil society represents a complex concept, which includes several different roles. Stating its nature and its goals in one definition is a challenge. Usually, civil society is described as a space, different from the market and the state, where citizens can be engaged with each other not under control of the state or the market. This definition includes the notion of community ties, and describes the civil society as a sphere of solidarity. Some other definitions talk about civil society, as a marketplace for negotiating social values and social relationships and where individuals associate for "common good". This notion is quite close to another one: the notion of non-profit sector that Frumklin (2006) defines as "the non-profit and voluntary sector is the contested arena between the state and the market where public and private concerns meet and where individual and social efforts are united". Indeed the goals of the civil society and the non-profit sector are quite similar: advocacy of values, innovation, service, and community building among others. Moreover these two sectors are seen as a means for resolving the problems of contemporary society (Powell and Guerin, 1997). As a consequence, they share a large number of links with the state. This reveals a central question: what are the results of this relationship for the civil society and non-profit sector, which is usually described as independent from the state?

Extraits

[...] This evolution threatens the role of the civil society[11]. Decrease in social capital and socialogical impact The professionalization of the nonprofit sector has sociological impact too, since it impacts the nature of relationship between different groups in the society. Nonprofit organizations attribute the higher value at their community building role and at their expressive role: these roles are endangered. Nonprofit organizations create social capital, which can be defined as a form of capital arising from relationship between different groups and communities and based on trust, cooperation and mutual support. [...]

[...] There were fewer riots between Muslims and Hindus in town with cross religious associations than in town without such links. Furthermore; the economic and political relations between the state and nonprofit organizations have impact at other level than the macro one. Collaboration between state and nonprofit sector: impact at organizational and individual level The greater links between the state and nonprofit organization have several consequences at an organization level for nonprofit organizations (which can endanger the civil society) and as consequences at an individual level too. [...]

[...] That reveals a central question: what are the results of this relation for the civil society and non-profit sector, usually describes as independent from the state? First of all, we have to study these relationships at a macro level, including the economic and political relations that exist between the state and the civil society. Finally, we will present the result of the relationship at the organisational level of non-profit organisations and the result for the individuals in society. Why the state collaborates with the nonprofit sector Some theories explain why such relationships exist between state and nonprofit organizations, how they collaborate and what should be done to facilitate this collaboration. [...]

[...] Nature of Relations between the Nonprofit Sector and the State The idea of civil society represents a complex concept, which includes several different roles. Understating its nature and its goals in one definition is a challenge. Usually the civil society is described as a space, different from the market and the state, where citizens can be engaged with each other not under control of state or market. This definition includes the notion of communities' ties, and describes the civil society as a sphere of solidarity. [...]

[...] The government contract stipulations refer to management concern like documentation and outcome measurement. These activities require an important among of time and energy that hence cannot be used for public goods such as education and advocacy. More dangerous, some nonprofit organizations avoid any forms of critics to assure themselves against the risks of losing a contract for the benefit of for-profit organizations. They sometimes turn their program so they have the appearance of the preference from the government. Hence, the solutions from the state appear to be the best for the target population since these organizations won't play their critical role about these new policies. [...]