Development of Civil Society Organizations—Caught Up in the Framework of Different Welfare Systems

This article examines the processes of governmentalization and marketization in enabling the development of civil society organizations within different welfare systems. It also attempts to explain how these processes impact volunteerism, distinguishing the service from the expressive roles of the civil society sector. Theoretical findings are tested and illustrated using data from the Johns Hopkins Comparative Nonprofit Sector Project. Further, data for Slovenia are included as an example of a distinct post-socialist welfare system. The data were collected from a representative sample of Slovenian civil society organizations based on the methodology of the Johns Hopkins Comparative Nonprofit Sector Project. As revealed, in line with institutionalist theories, different welfare systems show path dependency by determining the basis and level of the professionalization of the civil society sector, influencing the approaches of governmentalization and marketization, and indirectly changing the role of volunteerism.