Democratic Values and Civic Engagement of Local Voluntary Associations

• Date: 01 March 2014
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/nml.21095
• Author: Susanne Wallman Lundåsen
• Published date: 01 March 2014

RESEARCH ARTICLES

Democratic Values and Civic

Engagement of Local

Voluntary Associations

Susanne Wallman Lundåsen

Ersta Sköndal University College

In this study I investigate whether and to what extent local vol-

untary associations in Sweden maintain values of democratic

governance. The study is based upon a survey of about 400

local voluntary associations within four local communities. The

results show that a vast majority of these associations are sup-

portive of member influence and governance through internal

democracy. These values can also explain civic engagement of

these local voluntary associations. The results indicate that

if these values would change radically it would probably have

an impact on civic engagement of these organizations, but at

present the support remains solid.

Keywords: voluntary associations, Sweden, survey, citizen

participation, democratic values

IS THE LEVEL OF interest in democratic decision-making proce-

dures decreasing among small voluntary associations? If so,

what are the consequences of this trend for local communities

and societies? The debate concerning a putative increase in dis-

tance in the relationships of civil society organizations with their

members remains vigorous in both Europe and America (Skocpol

2003; Young 2002; Zald and Ash 1966). Social scientists are con-

cerned about this development because it may threaten the base of

Correspondence to: Susanne Wallman Lundåsen, Ersta Sköndal University College,

Department of Social Sciences, PO Box 11189, Stockholm 10061, Sweden. E-mail:

susanne.lundasen@esh.se.

NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP, vol. 24, no. 3, Spring 2014 © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc 263

Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI: 10.1002/nml.21095

264 LUNDÅSEN

Nonprofit Management & Leadership DOI: 10.1002/nml

civic engagement upon which democracies rest (Skocpol 2003).

Active participation by members is argued to increase members’

civic skills and institutionalize democratic forms of collective ac-

tion (compare Verba, Lehman Schlozman, and Brady 1995; Wolle-

bæk and Stromsnes 2008). The way in which local associations are

governed and the way in which these associations connect them-

selves to the state are of central importance to the functioning of

democracy. More-over, a substantial body of literature has argued

that there is a general trend of convergence in governance among

such organizations, and similar solutions inspired by marketiza-

tion are proposed regardless of whether the organization is private

or nonprofit (see, for example, Rathgeb Smith 2012; Skov Henrik-

sen, Rathgeb Smith, and Zimmer 2011). Shrinking resources

within the public sector in most Western countries has also had an

impact on the conditions under which the nonprofit organizations

operate (Rathgeb Smith 2012).

Several studies have argued that there is a trend toward increas-

ing professionalization among nonprofit organizations in Sweden

(Eek 2006; Hvenmark 2008; Jonsson 2005). Following this trend of

professionalization, hired staff may play an increasing role, gradu-

ally replacing the voluntary efforts of members; governing boards

may rule at the expense of member influence; and voluntary asso-

ciations may adopt behaviors similar to those of private for-profit

corporations. Scholars have also maintained that traditional mem-

ber-based voluntary associations have been shifting from a focus on

voice-oriented advocacy toward providing members with services

(Wijkström and Lundström 2002). For instance, as an example of

the shift toward providing services, the Swedish Union of Tenants

has begun to refer to its members as customers (Eek 2006). In the

case of Sweden, studies in this area have, however, tended to focus

on large confederative organizations (Eek 2006; Einarsson 2012a,

2012b; Harding 2012; Hvenmark 2008).

This study investigated whether there is support for the theses

of professionalization and marketization among local voluntary

associations, that is, an increase in the role of staff at the expense of

member influence and the adoption of management styles similar to

those of for-profit enterprises. I attempt to answer the research

questions of whether local voluntary associations report a pattern of

increasing professionalization with a subsequent loss interest and

involvement in decision-making procedures among active members,

and whether urbanization and dominance by staff can explain dif-

ferences in values among local voluntary associations. Specifically,

does the extent of member involvement influence the values of the

organization with respect to the local community? To address these

questions, I used survey data from approximately 400 local volun-

tary associations in Sweden.