Late-modern Hegemony and the Changing Role of Voluntary Associations in Finland

Abstract

Voluntary associations in Finland have traditionally dominated the field of collective action and been core agents in the (re)production of hegemonic blocs. Major changes in the institution of voluntary association may have a greater impact on the Finnish political regime than in many other countries, so the Finnish case might serve as a laboratory for the analysis of general tendencies of associational development common to all developed democracies. This article addresses (1) the main differences between older and newer types of associations, (2) the challenge posed by the development of a new type of hegemony to the ability of new kinds of associations to create general trust and solidarity between the various actors, (3) who or what needs voluntary associations in the new hegemony, and (4) the unique consequences of changing associations to the Finnish type of polity regime.