Work in Voluntary
Welfare Organizations
A Sociological Study of Voluntary
Welfare Organizations in Sweden
By Sebastien Chartrand
December 2004
Almqvist & Wiksell International 
ISBN: 9172658320
205 pages, Illustrated, 6" x 9"
$79.50 Paper Original
Since Sweden has one of the most comprehensive welfare states, the role of voluntary organizations active in the field of welfare is often neglected. The unique Swedish nonprofit sector is characterized by 1) the tradition of popular mass movements in which members are central and the real owners of the organization, 2) large membership and volunteering, but low employment levels, 3) dominance in the fields of culture and recreation, but the relative marginalization in welfare.
This Ph.D. dissertation empirically studies work and the perception of work in voluntary welfare organizations (VWOs) in Sweden. A series of 38 interviews were performed with employees and volunteers in VWOs: 1) a children's rights organization; 2) a women's center; 3) a volunteer bureau; and 4) a humanitarian organization. A quantitative survey of some 200 VWOs supplements the qualitative data.
Sociology; Welfare
Stockholm Studies in Sociology. N.S. No. 21
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