GOOD READ: Civil Society in Comparative Perspective
Civil Society in Comparative Perspective
The assemblage of organizations, institutions, conglomerates, federations, and other entities that form the nonprofit sector, or civil society, have attracted a significant amount of attention for a number of reasons. The “crisis of the state,” which consists of societal issues and challenges left largely unaddressed by state entities, is one major factor that has led to widespread attention focused on the development of civil society. Also, the number, scale, and growth patterns of nonprofit organizations have been the cause of widespread focus on the independent sector. The concept of the “global associational revolution” characterizes the widespread growth, proliferation, and activity of nonprofit organizations. This reading presents information and findings regarding the scope, impact, and role of the nonprofit sector within 22 countries.
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The first heading discussed focuses primarily on the profitable impact of the nonprofit sector on the world’s economic system. Totaling $1.1 trillion dollars, the nonprofit sector in the 22 highlighted countries employs 19 million full-time workers, and is placed eighth in the context of the world economy (ahead of the economies of Brazil, Russia, Canada, and Spain), and employs more individuals that the largest private firms.
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The report also examined the impact of geographic location on the development of the nonprofit sector in the 22 countries that were studied. Finding that the nonprofit sector is larger in more developed countries, the study also articulated that the US no longer has the world’s largest nonprofit sector. Countries including the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, and Israel (all developed countries), have larger sectors measured as a portion of total employment than does the United States.
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Services that are provided by the nonprofit sector were also evaluated. The study found that welfare-related services including education, health, and social services dominate nonprofit employment figures. In eight of the 22 counties studied, education emerged as the leading base of nonprofit employment. The historical role that the Catholic Church and Judaism have had in elementary and secondary education was also commonplace among these eight countries.
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In countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, and Spain, the nonprofit sector is the first to react to and address societal challenges. In these countries, religion has had a strong influence on social services and systems, promoting them as areas of focus for nonprofit organizations.*****
Recreation and culture follow closely behind, as in Central Europe, where these two areas occupy a larger portion of the nonprofit employee population. These countries share a common history based on the Communist era, in which sport and recreational associations were emphasized. Even after Communist control ceased in these areas, recreation and culture have still maintained importance in the evolution of civil society there.
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In Latin America, the major area of nonprofit employment is education, while in the United States, Japan, Australia, and Israel, the health field accounts for much of the nonprofit employment base. The unique emphasis on private healthcare in these countries serves as reasoning for the emphasis on high employment in these nations.
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The study also evaluated the resource base of the nonprofit sector, which is supported largely by fees and the public sector, not philanthropy. Of the 22 countries studied, 13 reported that income from fees is the dominant source of income. For all of the Western European counties (except Spain and Finland), the nonprofit sector is supported largely by public sector grants and contracts.
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Overall, the study evaluated the impact of the nonprofit sector on the world economy, employment base, and contributor to social stability. The study concluded by noting that while the nonprofit sector positively influences the society in which it exists, areas in Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America are still working to realize the potential benefit of implementing a progressive nonprofit sector.