An overview is presented of anthropology's interest in voluntary association, from the classical influences and studies to sociological and anthropological work that illustrate recent trends from the last decade. Information is presented from the author's fieldwork with the Tucson Homeless Union and the Southern Arizona Coalition for the Homeless that describes the homeless situation in Tucson and the efforts of these groups, whose members share a dedication to improving conditions for socioeconomically marginal people through activist means of protest and civil disobedience. Marked by fluidity of membership and unique internal dynamics, these groups present a special case-study of voluntary associations as a means of urban adaptation through self-help and as a vehicle for social change. It is demonstrated how and examination of the values expressed by the existence and actions of these associations is useful in understanding the nature of society and the stability of the political system.

Thesis. 1978. M.C.P.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Stewart Landers. / M.C.P.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Alfred P. Sloan School of Management, 1980. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND DEWEY. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Debra Ann Stabile. / M.S.

All in all, modernization, marketization, and policy fluctuation can explain the development and change of civic associations in 1980s and 1990s. The policy fluctuations plays the key, and has been more significant in the late 1990s. But as to the state-society relations, it also shows that it is not a zero-sum game, but a win-win game in recent years. / Civil associations have been a window to state-society relations in China, which catch eyes and minds of students of China since middle-1990. The theoretical perspectives always adopted include civil society and corporatism, which pay more attention to the political aspects of civic associations. Based on case studies, previous research does not explain the variations of civic associations both in time and spaces. / In analyzing the first period, various sources of data are collected to verify the prevailing modernization hypothesis and transition hypothesis. Emphasis has put on the impact of political fluctuations in 1980s. Data shows, the higher level the association registered, the more sensible they are when facing the fluctuations. Based a time series comparison, the sensitivity to fluctuation is also a function of the types of associations. Business associations, recreational associations are more sensible than others. Marketization is closely related to the development of business associations and professional association. State played a key role in the development of them. Modernization is a key factor in the development of academic associations and recreational associations. However, in a cross-sectional analysis, modernization also accounts for a part of variations of associational density between different areas, but the correlation is weak. The balance of power between state and society brought by market transition shows no correlation with the difference of associational density in the cross-sectional analysis. / In understanding the development of associations in the second period, data comes from a nationwide sampling survey and the Statistical Yearbook of Chinese Civil Affairs. Comparing to the situation in 1980s type by type, it is shown that policy change and political fluctuation are the most important explanations for the development of associations in 1990s. It finds that during the re-registration and houseclean campaign, the total number of associations dropped greatly. But more grassroots association were accepted and the autonomy of civic associations are also strengthened. But a panel analysis of provincial associational density between 1992 and 2003 shows that economic development and marketization are positive to the associational density after controlling the policy fluctuations. But there is no significant relations between the social modernization and associational density. When a interaction between the covariates and the policy change are considered, all except the urbanization are not significant related to the associational density. / To fill in both empirical and theoretical gaps, my research intends to analyze the macro political economy of civic associations in China. After reviewing the history and mapping out the landscape of civic associations, I put forward a comprehensive theoretical framework integrating modernization, marketization, and policy fluctuation as independent variables to interpret the development of civic association in Reform China. It has been divided into two periods: 1978∼1991 and 1992∼2004. / 何建宇. / 論文(哲學博士)--香港中文大學, 2007. / 參考文獻(p. 192-203). / Adviser: Shaoguang Wang. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-08, Section: A, page: 3583. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / School code: 1307. / Lun wen (zhe xue bo shi)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue, 2007. / Can kao wen xian (p. 192-203). / He Jianyu.

This thesis has explored the relationship between affiliation with voluntary associations and the independent variables of income, education, sex, health, living alone, and age of a sampling frame of 65 and older citizens of Delaware County, Indiana. Additional information received through use of a survey questionnaire included data, the perceived reason for un-involvement as well as categories of desired involvement. Associations considered in this thesis were placed in seven categories fraternal/service, church related, recreational, job related, civic/political, adult leadership, and other. Each variable was then considered in relation to each of these categories. This research supports the hypothesis that older citizens in Delaware County are involved in voluntary associations.

Why did EC enlargement negotiations with Spain take so long? This thesis argues that agricultural issues dominated negotiations despite the political and strategic aims of stabilizing Western Europe's southern flank that underpinned the raison d'être of this enlargement. The framework of Historical New Institutionalism is used to argue that several 'biases' operating at three levels account for the length and nature of these negotiations. At the first level, the 'bilateral' format of the negotiation procedure between Spain and the EC favoured existing EC members and protected the acquis communautaire. The Community's negotiating positions, as bargains in themselves, tended to be inflexible, and reduced Spain's input in the discussions and in the agenda-setting process. At the EC level, the CAP exhibited an unusual capacity to withstand the changes required by enlargement. This was because the EC's decisionmaking structure was fragmented into sectors and levels which allowed a closely knit 'policy community' to run the CAP in a way that was relatively insulated from other issue-areas. Change in the CAP occurred to cope with enlargement, but in a path-dependent way, passing the cost of adaptation on to Spain. At the national level, member states' so-called national interests with regard to enlargement were mixed, with no clear priority, and conflicting sectoral views. This resulted from the mechanisms of interest intermediation and inter-departmental co-ordination, which shaped the formulation and representation of national views in Brussels. Spain's accession was finally made possible when new redistributive policies for the Mediterranean and fresh budgetary resources were agreed. These were approved as part the wider package-deals surrounding the Single Market project and the Single European Act. HNI provides a new and persuasive framework with which to understand the difficulties of institutional change associated with enlargement negotiations.

Thesis (MEd) -- University of South Australia, 1994

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- Flinders University, School of Political and International Studies. / Typescript (bound). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 334-359). Also available online.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Freiburg in der Schweiz.

Thesis (Doctorat nouveau régime en histoire)--Université des sciences humaines de Strasbourg, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [669)-760).