Voluntary Action in the Welfare State: The Italian Case

Abstract

Voluntary action has invaded the Italian social scene. In the last fifteen years the phenomenon has gone through remarkable changes not only in the quantity of volunteer groups but also in the sectors of action, the organizational structures, and the actors involved. After tracing the major features of the Italian welfare scene, this paper summarizes the main characteristics of Italian voluntary action, pay ing particular attention to the growth that occurred and to the "new" forms of commitment that have emerged. The necessity t) move toward microlevel research projects is then examined in order to see how voluntary action and partnerships with public agencies are con structed. Relationships with statutory bodies are then analyzed, and their main feature is discussed, that is, the contradiction between what groups actually propose (different meanings and alternative ways of responding to social needs) and what they are considered and valued for. The final part of the paper is an attempt to avoid an umpteenth discussion of the roles played by the voluntary sector in the welfare scene. A key for conceptualizing relationships with public agencies is proposed, a key capable of distinguishing ideology and structure without separating them.