Gap Between the 'Ought' and the 'is' of the Third Sector: A Qualitative Case Study of Andalusia (Spain)

The origin of the Third Sector (TS) in Spain is rooted in the defence of social rights and demands made of the State regarding social transformation. With the development of the Welfare State, the role of the TS has progressively changed, becoming primarily a provider of services to Public Administr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ethics and social welfare 2023-01, Vol.17 (1), p.67-82
Main Authors: González-Portillo, Auxiliadora, Jaraíz-Arroyo, Germán
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case studies
Decision making
Dimensional analysis
ethics
funding
professionals
Public administration
Qualitative research
Social change
social intervention
Social justice
Third sector
volunteering
Welfare state
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Summary:The origin of the Third Sector (TS) in Spain is rooted in the defence of social rights and demands made of the State regarding social transformation. With the development of the Welfare State, the role of the TS has progressively changed, becoming primarily a provider of services to Public Administrations (PAs), and moving away from its roots advocating and demanding social justice. This article examines the distance between the original intentions ('ought') and the current day-to-day actions ('is') of the TS in the case of the region of Andalusia (Spain), focusing on a three-dimensional analysis: the objectives that mark its action, its funding model, and relations within the organisation. Using a qualitative methodology based on Thematic Content Analysis, the discourses of actors involved in the TS (managers, professionals, volunteers, users, public administration professionals, and other actors) have been analysed and linked, concluding that the gap generated between intention and deed, or 'ought' and 'is', are the result of external contextual elements, but also of decisions made within the TS.
ISSN:1749-6535
1749-6543
DOI:10.1080/17496535.2022.2137223