Christina Stecker – författare

In many countries, particularly in continental Europe, societies have been plagued by high unemployment for several decades. Simultaneously, due to recent shifts from industrial to service-oriented post-industrial societies, labor as a significant culture code is increasingly loosing importance. Because of this, the third or voluntary sector as a place of employment and as a service agency to society has become important for Europe as indicated by the 1997 Communication of the European Commission and various declarations by the European Parliament and the EU's Economic and Social Council. Strategy Mix for Nonprofit Organizations: Vehicles for Social and Labor Market Integration explores the role of the third sector in Europe, where unemployment is high and in North America, where unemployment is rising and exploring the "gaps" that the third sector is fulfilling: both as a social service and as an employer. The volume is organized into two distinctive parts. Part 1: The Nonprofit-Sector and Social Integration highlights the embeddedness of the sector in selected countries; it discusses how the sector is currently affected by changes of public policy particularly in the traditional social-democratic welfare state regimes, and it draws our attention to the sector's potentials to provide avenues for social integration, self-actualization and civic empowerment. Part 2: Labor Concepts and Market Integration refers to the multifunctionality of third sector organizations discussing potentials of workplace as well as community involvement via nonprofit organizations. This seminal volume will be of interest to those in the nonprofit sector, organizational management and economics, political scientists and other researchers working with nonprofit organizations and civil society studies on an international level.

In many countries, particularly in continental Europe, societies have been plagued by high unemployment for several decades. Simultaneously, due to recent shifts from industrial to service-oriented post-industrial societies, labor as a significant culture code is increasingly loosing importance. Because of this, the third or voluntary sector as a place of employment and as a service agency to society has become important for Europe as indicated by the 1997 Communication of the European Commission and various declarations by the European Parliament and the EU's Economic and Social Council. Strategy Mix for Nonprofit Organizations: Vehicles for Social and Labor Market Integration explores the role of the third sector in Europe, where unemployment is high and in North America, where unemployment is rising and exploring the "gaps" that the third sector is fulfilling: both as a social service and as an employer. The volume is organized into two distinctive parts. Part 1: The Nonprofit-Sector and Social Integration highlights the embeddedness of the sector in selected countries; it discusses how the sector is currently affected by changes of public policy particularly in the traditional social-democratic welfare state regimes, and it draws our attention to the sector's potentials to provide avenues for social integration, self-actualization and civic empowerment. Part 2: Labor Concepts and Market Integration refers to the multifunctionality of third sector organizations discussing potentials of workplace as well as community involvement via nonprofit organizations. This seminal volume will be of interest to those in the nonprofit sector, organizational management and economics, political scientists and other researchers working with nonprofit organizations and civil society studies on an international level.

Im wissenschaftlichen Diskurs wie auch im tagespolitischen Alltagsgeschäft haben bürgerschaftliebes Engagement, Ehrenamt und freiwillige Mitarbeit derzeit Konjunktur. Ohne einen Hinweis auf die positiven Effekte der freiwil­ ligen Tätigkeit kommt kaum noch eine Politikerrede aus. Dem Ehrenamt in Form unbezahlter Tätigkeit wird ein hoher Stellenwert fiir die Reform unseres Sozialstaates eingeräumt. Entsprechendes gilt auch fiir die Vertiefung und Weiterentwicklung der Demokratie. Hier wird auf die vielfältigen Formen der aktiven Partizipation und konkreten politischen Beteiligung verwiesen sowie im Rahmen neuerer demokratietheoretischer Ansätze sogar der Stellenwert des Engagements im Hinblick auf die Demokratielücke der Europäischen Union thematisiert. Man kann durchaus den Eindruck gewinnen, daß dem bürgerschaftliehen Engagement inzwischen der Stellenwert einer "Allzweck­ waffe" eingeräumt wird, die zur Reform des Sozialstaates ebenso effektiv ein­ setzbar ist wie zur Entbürokratisierung der öffentlichen Verwaltung, zur Si­ cherstellung und Garantie des sozialen Zusammenhalts in unserer zunehmend von Individualisierungstendenzen geprägten Gesellschaft, zur Überwindung von Demokratiedefiziten in der repräsentativen Demokratie sowie nicht zu vergessen auch zur Entlastung der öffentlichen Haushalte. Ein derart prominenter Stellenwert des bürgerschaftliehen Engagements als "Hoffnungsträger" einer allumfassenden Modernisierung von Staat und Gesellschaft hat zur Folge, daß sowohl in der Politik wie in der allgemeinen Öffentlichkeit und auch in der Wissenschaft zunehmend nach Möglichkeiten und Wegen gesucht wird, diese gerade erst entdeckte kostbare gesellschaftli­ che, ökonomische und politische Ressource nachhaltig zu fördern. Dass dies jedochkein einfaches Unternehmen ist, zeigt die Arbeit "Vergütete Solidarität und solidarische Vergütung" von Christina Stecker.