Grassroots Associations

by David Horton Smith

• ISBN13: 9780803959927
• ISBN10: 0803959923
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-05-11
• Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc

Summary

Grassroots Associations is a comprehensive review and critique of empirical and theoretical research on grassroots non profit-making and voluntary organizations.David Horton Smith examines in depth the distinctive nature and characteristics of a previously under-studied area which includes such groups as Alchoholics Anonymous, community environmental action committees and church Bible study groups. He addresses: group formation, structure, process, leadership, and life cycle change; effectiveness; the influence such associations have on society; the future of grassroots associations, which he sees as integral to a postmodern society moving towards participatory democracy, self-determinism and individual choice.

Author Biography

David Horton Smith has been a Professor of Sociology at Boston College since 1976 and was associate Professor there from 1968 to 1976. He currently is on a leave of absence from the university

Table of Contents

Key Abbreviations in This Book	ix
Foreword	x
Preface	xiii
PART I: TOWARD A ROUND-EARTH PARADIGM FOR THE VOLUNTARY NONPROFIT SECTOR
Introduction	3	(1)
Nonprofit-Type Classifications	4	(3)
Definitions and Metaphors	7	(26)
The Connotative Definition of Grassroots Associations	7	(3)
Some Broader Background on the Study of Associations	10	(2)
The Astrophysical Dark Matter Metaphor	12	(1)
The Mapmaking Metaphor and the Flat-Earth VNPS Paradigms	13	(2)
Toward a Theory of Voluntary Altruism: Key Definitions	15	(13)
Conclusion	28	(5)
Revising Flat-Earth Maps: The Rest of the Voluntary Nonprofit Sector	33	(38)
Numbers of Associations and All Nonprofits	36	(9)
People and Roles	45	(8)
Time and Behavior	53	(2)
Money and Property	55	(5)
Conclusion	60	(7)
PART II: THE DISTINCTIVE NATURE OF GRASSROOTS ASSOCIATIONS
Introduction	67	(4)
Formational Characteristics	71	(20)
The Basic GA Founder Choices	71	(17)
Conclusion	88	(3)
Internal Guidance Systems	91	(16)
Moderate Amounts of Ideology	92	(3)
Adequate Incentives and Satisfaction	95	(8)
Secondary Importance of GA Incentives and Roles	103	(1)
Conclusion	103	(4)
Internal Structure	107	(20)
Internal Structure	107	(16)
Conclusion	123	(4)
Internal Processes	127	(22)
Internal Processes	127	(19)
Conclusion	146	(3)
Leaders and Environments	149	(18)
Leadership	149	(14)
GA Environments and Their Relationships to GAs	163	(1)
Conclusion	164	(3)
Life Cycle Changes	167	(28)
Definitions	167	(2)
Increasing Complexity in Work Organization, Including National Associations, With Age	169	(2)
Complexity and the Life Cycle of GAs	171	(2)
Causes of Complexity in GAs	173	(5)
Alternatives to Complexity in GAs	178	(3)
Other Factors Related to the Age of GAs	181	(11)
Conclusion	192	(3)
Impact and Effectiveness	195	(22)
GA Impact	196	(10)
GA Effectiveness	206	(3)
General Effectiveness Studies	209	(2)
Conclusion	211	(4)
PART III: THEORETICAL PARADIGMS AND CONCLUSIONS
Introduction	215	(2)
Flat-Earth Paradigms and a Round-Earth Paradigm Outline	217	(26)
Metaphors and Paradigms for Understanding the VNPS	217	(2)
Overview of Flat-Earth VNPS Paradigms	219	(19)
Outline of a Round-Earth Paradigm of the VNPS	238	(2)
Rating My Own Success in Following the Round-Earth Paradigm	240	(1)
Conclusion	241	(2)
Some Conclusions and Forecasts: The Advent of Homo Voluntas	243	(20)
Long History of the VNPS	243	(1)
One Nonprofit Sector or Two?	244	(1)
Using a Balanced Round-Earth Paradigm of the VNPS	245	(1)
One Contrarian Conclusion: No Financial Crisis for the VNPS as a Whole	246	(2)
The Role of Volunteer Groups in Society	248	(2)
The New Social Scientific Discipline of Voluntary Action Studies: 50 to 100 Years Away in the Future	250	(1)
Policy Recommendations	250	(1)
Past and Future Trends in VG Prevalence	251	(1)
Determinants of VG Prevalence Growth Worldwide	252	(2)
Expansion of Voluntary Role Choices in the Future, Especially in Postindustrial Societies	254	(5)
The Voluntary Century and Volunteer Millennium: The Advent of Homo Voluntas	259	(4)
Appendix A: Description of the (Largely North American) Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action	263	(4)
Appendix B: Creating a Local Nonprofit Sampling Frame Including Grassroots Associations: An American Example	267	(12)
A Multimethod Comprehensive Sampling Frame Creation Strategy for Nonprofits	268	(5)
Cleaning the Data	273	(1)
Other Countries	274	(1)
Conclusion	275	(4)
Appendix C: Methodology of the Smith One-Suburb Study	279	(4)
References	283	(38)
Index	321	(21)
About the Author	342