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Associations, Definitions and History

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International Encyclopedia of Civil Society

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Definition

Associations are membership-based organizations, guided by a common interest of their constituency. They are independent from the state, albeit they might cooperate with the government. Based on voluntary membership, they are distinct from both the family and premodern social groups, such as clans or guilds. Providing avenues for interest representation, social participation, and volunteering, they constitute the organizational infrastructure of civil society. Based on the freedom of association as a citizen right, associations are a typical for modern societies. As such, they are today ubiquitous and particularly numerous in democratic states with market economies. Typologies organize the universe of associations according to their field of activity and differentiate between associations of the word of business and labor (trade unions and business associations), the area of culture and leisure activities (e.g., sport clubs and choirs), the policy field of welfare and social...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany

    Annette Zimmer

Authors
  1. Annette Zimmer
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Correspondence to Annette Zimmer .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Regina A. List

  2. Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Helmut K. Anheier

  3. Schar school, George Mason University, ARLINGTON, VI, USA

    Stefan Toepler

Section Editor information

  1. Hamburg, Germany

    Regina A. List

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Zimmer, A. (2023). Associations, Definitions and History. In: List, R.A., Anheier, H.K., Toepler, S. (eds) International Encyclopedia of Civil Society. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99675-2_28-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99675-2_28-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-99675-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-99675-2

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