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The Big Society: a new policy environment for the third sector?

Alcock, Pete (2012) The Big Society: a new policy environment for the third sector? Working Paper. University of Birmingham, Birmingham.

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URL of Published Version: http://www.tsrc.ac.uk/Research/TheoryandPolicyTP/TheBigSocietyanewpolicyenvironment/tabid/927/Default.aspx

Abstract

This Working Paper updates the analysis of the Coalition government’s Big Society policy agenda first published in 2010. It explores the policy context for the Big Society initiative and the key features of the policy programme developed by the Coalition since 2010. It then outlines some of the contradictions and challenges within this policy programme, and for the relations between the third sector and the state more generally. It is also pointed out that the Big Society is an English political discourse with different policy developments now taking place within the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

An earlier version of this paper was published in Voluntary Sector Review, Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 379-90.

This version will also be published as a chapter in The Welfare State Reader, 3rd edition, F. Castles, I. Nauman and C. Pierson (eds.) Polity Press, 2012.

Type of Work:Monograph (Working Paper)
School/Faculty:Colleges (2008 onwards) > College of Social Sciences
Department:Third Sector Research Centre
References:

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Date:18 June 2012
Series/Collection Name:TSRC Working Paper Series
Keywords:Big Society, third sector, policy, civil society, devolution.
Subjects:H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Related URLs:
URLURL Type
http://tsrc.ac.ukOrganisation
Funders:Economic and Social Research Council, Office for Civil Society, Barrow Cadbury Trust
Copyright Holders:Third Sector Research Centre
ID Code:1781

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