Please note: In order to keep Hive up to date and provide users with the best features, we are no longer able to fully support Internet Explorer. The site is still available to you, however some sections of the site may appear broken. We would encourage you to move to a more modern browser like Firefox, Edge or Chrome in order to experience the site fully.

The Ages of Voluntarism : How we got to the Big Society, Paperback / softback Book

The Ages of Voluntarism : How we got to the Big Society Paperback / softback

Edited by Matthew (Professor of Social History, University of Birmingham) Hilton, James (Research Fellow, University of Birmingham) McKay

Part of the British Academy Original Paperbacks series

Paperback / softback

Description

In May 2010, Britain's new Coalition government embarked on its journey to the Big Society.

But how did we reach this point? Politicians and commentators have long bemoaned the supposed decline of civic life, fretting about its health and its future.

In fact, the real story of voluntarism over the last hundred years has not been decline, but constant evolution and change.

Whether we use the terms charity, philanthropy, civil society, non-governmental organisations, the third sector or the Big Society, voluntary endeavour is one of the most vibrant and dynamic areas of British public life.

The senior, established and exciting new scholars featured in this collection show how the voluntary sector's role in society, and its relationship with the state, has constantly adapted to its surroundings.

They have raised new agendas, tackled old problems in new ways, acted as alternatives to statutory provision and as catalysts for further government action.

Voluntary groups have emerged out of citizens' concerns, independent of government and yet willing to work with politicians of all persuasions.

By surveying the sheer extent and diversity of the sector since the start of the First World War, this volume demonstrates that voluntarism not only continues to thrive, but is also far larger than any political agenda that may be imposed upon it.

Information

£18.00

 
Free Home Delivery

on all orders

 
Pick up orders

from local bookshops

Information