Lineamenti di sociologia del terzo settore

[Autom. eng. transl.] The term 'third sector' has now entered common parlance, but the debate remains open around numerous questions. Which organizations does it include? What social functions does it perform? How are the motivations of its adherents sustained and reinforced? What actions, interventions and care processes are carried out by its various components for the well-being of people and communities? What relationships does it activate with public and private entities present in local contexts? This volume intends to offer answers to these questions, outlining a cognitive itinerary that starts with a reconstruction of the dynamics of contemporary welfare states, to arrive at a reflection on the role of the third sector in the light of the main sociological approaches which, internationally and Italian, have studied this phenomenon. Particular attention is paid to the understanding of specific concepts such as social networks, partnerships, co-production, in the hypothesis that the focusing of the multiple participatory processes implemented by third sector organizations can make the difference from the point of view of promoting a good quality of life for individuals and communities of reference. The evidence emerging from the data of the census of non-profit institutions carried out by ISTAT for our country is also illustrated, in order to highlight the structural empirical transformations of an endogenous nature and those relating to relations with other stakeholders present in the territories.