Le forme di partnership sociale:il contributo della riflessione sociologica alla loro comprensione

This article examines the concept of social partnership from a sociological point of view. After providing a brief conceptual overview, the author focuses on third sector organisations, with their strategic role in the creation of partnership based on trust between public and private actors. The analysis pays a particular attention to the temporal dimension of the partnership life cycle, to the various relationships between the actors and on the relevant theme of governance. The creation of social partnerships requires the development of a relational culture based on sharing, that implies a long and demanding developing period. Only this kind of path, based on the values of reciprocity and mutual trust, can lead to the establishment of stable and effective collaboration relationships