Volunteering

In recent decades, there has been a burgeoning interest in the study of volunteering, and the number of publications devoted to volunteering has grown exponentially. In this chapter, we examine emerging theories and new directions in volunteering research. First, we discuss multi-level perspectives that try to understand volunteering in complex interaction with the organizational and institutional context. Next, we present process-oriented approaches that focus on the experience of volunteering, as it changes through different stages of organizational socialization, and as a consequence of broader societal and sector-wide transformations. Finally, in the light of these sector changes, new methods of social accounting have emerged that expand traditional financial statements of nonprofits to account for volunteer labor. This review Demonstrates that, as research on volunteering further expands, it tends to grow in its diversity of questions and viewpoints, and to reflect the complex and dynamic nature of volunteering more precisely

Neighborhood-representing Organizations: How Democratic Are They?

Neighborhood-representing organizations (NROs) are generally viewed as the most authentic form of citizen participation and local democracy. In this article, I question how democratic NROs actually are, both on the local level (participatory democracy) and in the external arena (representative democracy). I present a new conceptual model of the components of democracy in neighborhood organizations. A review of the literature is presented within the context of this model to show to what extent NROs are democratic. The findings indicate that the level of democracy in NROs is questionable and that the iron law of oligarchy is valid for this type of organization. The problem of low participatory and representative democracy is addressed, and implications for research and practice are discussed

Review of \u3cem\u3eStrategic Giving: The Art and Science\u27 of Philanthropy.\u3c/em\u3e Peter Frumkin. Reviewed by Ram Cnaan.

Book review of Peter Frumkin, Strategic Giving: The Art and Science of Philanthropy. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2006. $ 39.00 hardcover

Review of \u3cem\u3eSociology of Religion: Contemporary Developments.\u3c/em\u3e Kevin J. Christiano, William H. Swatos Jr. and Peter Kivisto. Reviewed by Ram A. Cnaan.

Book review of Kevin J. Christiano, William H. Swatos Jr. and Peter Kivisto, Sociology of Religion: Contemporary Developments. Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press, 2002. $44.95 papercover

Review of Hillel Schmid, \u3cem\u3eNeighborhood Self-Management: Experiments in Civil Society\u3c/em\u3e

In this volume, Professor Hillel Schmid of the Hebrew University describes and analyzes an attempt to establish neighborhood-based mechanisms that will serve as representatives and service coordinators to local residents. The experiment took place in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel. Israel is too often given negative press in the media where three monotheistic religions see home and heritage. Yet, it is important to remember that it is also a place where some 600-700,000 people work, live, and consume municipal services. Chapter 5 describes Jerusalem in such a perspective and would be of interest to many readers, even those who are not concerned with community practice and civil society issues. In the early 1990s, the city integrated two groups that served the residents interests: community centers and neighborhood self-management into a joint body called community council

Review of \u3cem\u3eThe Politics of Care: Human Services at the Local Level.\u3c/em\u3e Alan J. Hahn. Reviewed by Ram A. Cnaan, University of Pennsylvania.

Alan J. Hahn, The Politics of Care: Human Services at the Local Level. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1994. $63.00 hardcover,$19.95 papercover, 256 pp