Third Sector Research

Rupert Taylor (b. 1958) is Associate Professor of Political Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. He completed a BA degree in Politics and Government at the University of Kent in 1980, followed by an MSc at the London School of Economics in 1981 and a PhD in Sociology at Kent, completed in 1986.[1] He was formerly a Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Political Science at the New School for Social Research in New York, Adjunct Professor in the Department of Political Science at Columbia University and a Visiting Research Fellow in the School of Politics, Queen's University Belfast. Taylor's research interests include political violence, transitions to democracy and non-governmental organisations. Taylor has written widely in the areas of South African politics and the Northern Ireland conflict. His publications include articles in African Affairs, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Peace and Change, The Political Quarterly, Race and Class, The Round Table, and TELOS. He is currently editor of Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations.

From the reviews: "most chapters admirably reflect on the state of third sector research in different fields, showing that is has grown into a vivid research domain, clearly stimulated by high quality research outlets such as Voluntas...this book presents a plethora of challenging and sometimes critical thoughts, which should inspire all kinds of third sector researchers to refine and advance third sector knowledge".--Silva Ferreira, book reviews editor, Voluntas "A significant contribution to the understanding of phenomena that have often not been characterized in such a richly international way, and the breadth and depth of topical coverage is commendable. This book is appropriate as a source of supplemental readings for graduate-level courses about the nature of the voluntary sector, and especially for inserting a comparative perspective in courses that might otherwise emphasize third sector activities in a single country. ... a must-have resource for anybody who teaches or studies third sector activities." (Murat Onder, International Review of Public Administration, Vol. 17 (1), April, 2012)

• Moving Beyond Empirical Theory.- Defining and Theorizing the Third Sector.- Sector Labels.- Social Origins.- The Civil Society Index.- Social Economy.- Volunteering.- Volunteering in Developing Countries.- Participation.- Philanthropy.- Leadership and Governance.- Nonprofit Marketing.- Social Accounting.- Corporate Social Responsibility.- Third Sector–Government Partnerships.- Social Capital.- Transforming Democracy?.- The Dark Side.- Philanthropy in an Era of Global Governance.- The Question of the Poor.- Global Environmental Engagement.- Global Civil Society.- The World Social Forum.