VSVR2019: VSSN/NCVO Voluntary Sector and Volunteering Research Conference 2019 Aston University Birmingham, UK, September 10-11, 2019 |
Conference website | https://www.vssn.org.uk/2019/01/07/voluntary-sector-and-volunteering-research-conference-2019-date-and-location/ |
Submission link | https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=vsvr2019 |
Abstract registration deadline | May 13, 2019 |
Submission deadline | August 12, 2019 |
A civil society for the future: setting the agenda for voluntary sector and volunteering research in the 2020s
Increasingly the voluntary sector and volunteering is viewed through the lens of ‘civil society’ and the past 12 months have witnessed considerable public and political debate* about how civil society can be at the heart of the changes needed to ensure that all communities can thrive. This includes how to strengthen social value within communities, how civil society can revitalise and enhance democracy, and the potential for reshaping state-civil society relationships.
These debates present opportunities and challenges for civil society actors and for research undertaken on, with and for them. Each year, the Voluntary Sector and Volunteering Research Conference - organised by the Voluntary Sector Studies Network (VSSN) and the National Council of Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) - provides a unique opportunity for academics, policy makers and practitioners from the UK and further afield to come together to share findings and discuss the implications of research.
This year's conference will build on ongoing debates in the research community to consider the implications of current political and economic uncertainties, and the seemingly relentless rise of social inequality on civil society, the voluntary sector and volunteering. In support of this our 'Conference Track' invites contributions focused on the future of civil society and the broader issues facing the voluntary sector and volunteering at this time. These could include, for example: critical reflections on the Civil Society Strategy and Civil Society Futures, and their implications for policy, practice and research; international, jurisdictional and comparative perspectives including to what extent is ‘civil society’ mobilised differently across different contexts; how we conceptualise and measure civil society; and the evolution of civil society over time.
*See for example to the Civil Society Strategy and Civil Society Futures
Aims and streams
The conference aims to:
- Contribute to evidence and theory-building in the field
- Develop emerging research ideas
- Inform and be informed by the work of practitioners
- Inform and influence policy
We welcome submissions for individual papers, panel sessions and workshops. We are particularly keen to receive proposals for the Conference Track that look to the future of civil society, but we do also welcome papers that address a range of issues relevant to volunteering and the voluntary sector, aligned to the following streams:
1. The Conference Track - Critical Reflections on the Future of Civil Society
2. Democracy and grassroots voluntary action
3. Diversity, race, (in)equality and inclusion
4. Volunteering, participation and social action
5. Advances in theory and methods
6. Funding, fundraising, philanthropy and social investment
7. Organisational management and governance, including law and regulation
8. Historical perspectives on civil society, the voluntary sector and volunteering
9. Civil society at the boundaries: relationships with the state and/or private sector
10. Measuring civil society: outcomes, impact and social value
11. New researchers stream
Please use the provided template when submitting your abstracts. At the start of the abstract submission process authors will be asked which stream/track they feel their paper will fit best within.