A Cultural Capital Perspective of the Effect of a Government–Voluntary Sector Partnership for Enhancing Access to Postsecondary Education

Part I - Introduction: Background to the Sector 1. Stephen P. Osborne The voluntary and non-profit sector in Japan: a guide 2. Stephen P. Osborne The voluntary and non-profit sector in contemporary Japan: emerging roles and organizational challenges in a changing society 3. Victoria Lyon Bestor & Reiko Maekawa The philanthropic roots of the voluntary and non-profit sector in Japan: the Rockerfeller legacy 4. Makoto Imada The voluntary response to the Hanshin Awaji earthquake: a trigger for the development of the voluntary and non-profit sector in Japan Part II - The changing context of the voluntary and non-profit sector in Japan 6. Robert Pekkanen The politics of regulating the nonprofit sector 7. Robert Pakkanen & Karla Simon The legal framework for voluntary and non-profit activity 8. Nobuko Kawashima Businesses and the NPO sector in Japan: developments and prospects Part III - Key managerial challenges for the sector 8. Robert O. Bothwell The challenges of growing the NPO and voluntary sector in Japan 9. Yoji Nishizutsumi, Kira Reed & Femida Handy Strategic management and Japanese nonprofits: can it work? 10. Deborah Auger The government - nonprofit relationship in contemporary Japan: an emerging local government - nonprofit partnership in Miyagi 11. Makoto Imada The philanthropic tradition and fund raising for voluntary and non-profit sector in Japan Part IV - The voluntary and non-profit sector in action in Japan 12. Mie Ohwa The voluntary and non-profit sector and the community in Japan: making links and responding to needs 13. Takako Ueto Supporting local groups in responding to social needs: a case study of the Kobe Community Support Project Part V - Conclusions 14. Stephen P Osborne, Kate McLaughlin & Taro Miyamoto Managing the Japanese voluntary and non-profit sector: an agenda for the future For my special son Frank Thomas Stephen

This paper reports on the outcomes of an action research programme investigating the measurement of service quality in the voluntary and local government service environments. The paper begins with a brief background of the contexts within which the local government and voluntary sectors deliver their services and a description of the SERVQUAL method. It reports on the outcomes of three studies in different service environments in the local government sector and then focuses on a recent study within the Scottish voluntary sector. The voluntary sector study serves as a platform from which to examine the portability of SERVQUAL into this sector and to assess its limitations as an instrument for measuring the quality of voluntary sector service provision. The study concludes that the SERVQUAL approach, in terms of its methodology, is appropriate for the public and voluntary sectors, but that primary qualitative research is necessary to develop appropriate survey instruments that reflect the different customer perceptions of the underlying service quality dimensions in these nonprofit sectors.

The panel presents a research project funded by an internal grant at the University of South Carolina (USC) investigating equity of access to information by Blind, Visually Impaired, and Print-Disabled (BVIPD) students. BVIPD students often experience inequitable access to information, including but not limited to a time gap in receiving course content that is otherwise more readily available to non-BVIPD students (Scott and Aquino, 2020). This is a social justice and human rights issue. The researchers will explore ways in which university Disability Service Offices (DSOs) can work with university libraries to maximize access to accessible content to BVIPD students. The BVIPD population is historically underserved by libraries (Bonnici et al., 2015; Epp, 2006; Copeland, 2011; Copeland, 2012; Copeland, 2023; Kawooya, 2023). Most published literature is not available to the BVIPD students, with only 5% of published works available in formats accessible to BVIPD learners (National Federation for the Blind, 2019). The study is designed to develop a Campus Accessibility Partnership model between DSOs and academic libraries. The overarching research question is: How might DSOs and academic libraries better coordinate to effectively and efficiently serve BVIPD students? The presenters will share outcomes of phase one of the study, including a detailed review of literature, research design and preliminary results. Because it is essential to understand the perspectives and potential contributions of all stakeholders in developing a framework for improving equity of access and accessibility for BVIPD students, the researchers are also seeking faculty perspectives. Faculty includes all who teach semester-long courses, regardless of tenure or rank. The researchers will introduce the literature review, the methodological approach, and preliminary results. The session will continue with an interactive discussion with conference attendees, who will be invited to reflect on key concepts and the following questions: What, if any, problems have students at your institution(s) experienced with receiving course content in accessible formats? In working with DSOs to ensure BVIPD students receive materials in accessible formats in a timely manner, what, if any, barriers do you experience? What role(s) do you play to facilitate greater equity of access for BVIPD students? What is your knowledge and awareness of your students' experiences with your campus DSO? What formats of accessible course content does your campus provide as accommodations to BVIPD students? If DSOs coordinated with academic libraries to adopt practices for saving accessible format materials for future use, what impact do you think this would have? The theoretical framework is Jaeger and Burnett’s (2010) multi-level information worlds theory. In this framework, information worlds have structural and behavioral implications, in that social constructs (such as the value ascribed to disability and accessibility) and societal structures/infrastructures (such as law) directly and reciprocally inform one another. Information worlds “provides a framework by which to simultaneously examine information behavior at both the immediate and the broader social levels'' (Jaeger and Burnett, 2010, p. 1). The study will analyze five interconnected concepts of information worlds theory: social norms; social types; information value; information behavior; and boundaries. The study employs a mixed method design using both qualitative methods (interviews with DSO staff, academic librarians, and BVIPD students) and a quantitative method (survey-questionnaire with instructors). Prior to the design and execution of the questionnaires, the research team will do extensive literature review and preliminary analysis of the relevant trends using the University of South Carolina’s Social Media Insight Lab. Any news insights gleaned from both sources may lead to changes to the instructor questionnaire. The presenters will share the research design and preliminary results from the literature review and Social Media Insight Lab data. Conference participants will work in groups to reflect upon the questions above. Understanding the lived experiences of faculty working with BVIPD populations will help begin to bridge the gap experienced by these marginalized students by identifying strengths and failures of current policies and procedures between DSOs, academic libraries and librarians, and faculty. Discussions among library and information science (LIS) faculty will contribute significantly to developing a partnership model that serves the needs of all stakeholders in ensuring equity of access and accessibility for BVIPD students. They will also steer future efforts to reduce the inequalities experienced by BVIPD students. Faculty interact with students of all abilities on a more regular basis. Accordingly, faculty can offer their insights from working with BVIPD students, DSO staff, and academic librarians. The primary goal of the panel is to raise awareness for accessibility issues faced by BVIPD students and facilitate a dialogue amongst educators. Ultimately, bridging gaps in understanding the needs of BVIPD students and the roles faculty, DSOs, and academic librarians can and should play in fulfilling these needs can impact equitable access to education. Equitable access to education impacts BVIPD students’ likelihood of academic success, subsequent employment, income earning potential, and ability to enjoy a full life experience.

BackgroundRacial and ethnic inequalities in access to healthcare services pose a significant challenge for many countries, with ethnic minorities and Afro-descendants frequently experiencing poorer access to services and health outcomes. However, little is known about the factors that drive racial inequalities in access to healthcare, especially in low- and middle-income countries.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional, observational study that uses data from the National Health Survey (2019) in Brazil and assesses the contribution of predisposing, facilitating, and need-for-care factors to inequalities in healthcare access between White, Black and Pardo (Brown) Brazilians. The Oaxaca-Blinder method was used to separate differences between racial groups into explained and unexplained determinants. Variables included in the models were age, sex, marital status, family size and composition, access to sanitation, health insurance, primary care coverage, income quintile, employment status, education, and self-rated health status.ResultsThe responses from 204,918 individuals were analysed. White Brazilians reported better access to healthcare and medications than Black or Pardo Brazilians, with the largest racial inequalities in unmet needs for healthcare services and access to medication. Racial inequalities are mostly explained by observable factors (between 35% and 87%), most notably the access to financial resources (income and access to private health insurance). Being covered by the Family Health Program and higher levels of education were associated with reduced inequalities between racial groups. The unexplained portion of inequalities was the greatest when comparing Black and White individuals, implying that factors beyond socioeconomic status likely drive these inequalities including community, cultural or behavioural factors, and inequalities and bias in healthcare services.ConclusionsWhile investments in universal healthcare and education may be important for reducing racial inequalities in access to healthcare, better understanding of cultural and contextual factors and targeted public policies and services interventions for addressing racial inequalities are needed.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-025-13527-6.

Improving access and quality for ethnic minority women— panel discussion

Voluntary and nonprofit sector studies are relatively young and still seeking common intellectual ground. One vehicle for accomplishing this task is the systematic literature review (SLR). SLRs approach knowledge generation through a rules-driven comprehensive process for finding and analyzing prior knowledge. SLRs support the voluntary sector’s current emphasis on data transparency in publication. They also support the growth of voluntary sector empiricism by offering a greater claim to reliability and generalizability of findings. Finally, they support goals of inclusiveness and knowledge unification that are important to the voluntary sector academy, its funders, and its constituents. This explanatory article draws on examples from the nonprofit and voluntary sector to describe the rationale and methods of the SLR.

The voluntary tradition - philanthropy and self-help in Britain 1500-1945 the perils of partnership - the voluntary sector and the state 1945-92 a loose and baggy monster - boundaries, definitions and typologies inside the voluntary sector volunteers the voluntary and non-profit sector in continental Europe resources and funding voluntary agencies and accountability trustees, committees and boards management and organization.

The voluntary and civil society sector plays important roles in climate policy, mitigation and adaptation, especially given the pervasive government and market failures in this policy domain. Does the quality and quantity of scholarship published in nonprofit-focused journals reflect the topic’s importance? This article reviews voluntary sector scholarship on climate issues and serves to introduce Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly’s first organized collection of research on the voluntary sector and climate change. We begin by summarizing and commenting on the findings of a modified systematic literature review of past research on this subject. We then introduce the other five articles published in this symposium, place them in the context of past literature, and discuss their potential contributions to helping researchers expand the conversation and the knowledge on this topic in future work. Finally, we outline ideas and issues for future research.

El éxito de las Beyoungri Danche depende de las estrategias financieras que sus líderes utilizan para hacerlas sostenibles en el tiempo. La recopilación de buenas prácticas de las Beyoungri Danche coreanas en la literatura y una investigación exploratoria de contenidos web de tres organizaciones exitosas, permite aprender tácticas de otra cultura que ha demostrado un alto nivel organizacional y fortalecer el diálogo alrededor de un tema de interés común.

Home care of older adults has emerged as the favorite way of responding to growing long-term care needs in Europe. As a result, a number of shared trends have emerged. The general principle of universalism has been introduced and maintained, in sharp contrast to the welfare retrenchment which has taken place in many other policy areas. In parallel, European governments have been steering policy responses in the area of home care in directions that dampen demand and draw on a wider variety of providers, especially those that are seen, from the state’s perspective, to be “low-cost” sources of care: families, migrant workers, voluntary sector, and older peoplethemselves through private spending. Another notable novel direction is the trend towards reablement and self-care, which from a critical perspective can be construed as the privatization of need and as another form of off-loading responsibility for care by the state to older adults, their families and informal networks of care. These shared trends arise from the need to ‘square the circle’ of coming under pressure to improve and extend home care provision, while needing to control costs. Several contradictions and challenges arise from the shared reform logic, the effects of which pertain to users of home care services. These include inequalities in access to sufficient care, and uneven quality in services that is increasingly difficult to measure or control. However, such concerns have so far taken second place in European countries that continue to focus on the difficult balance of “being seen to care” while controlling the costs of care.

The author founded the organized, global, interdisciplinary, socio-behavioral science field of voluntaristics (a 2013 neologism by the author) in 1971, with his formation and establishment of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (arnova; www.arnova.org; Smith , ). Both arnova, and its outstanding, interdisciplinary academic journal, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly (nvsq), have served as initial models for the global diffusion of this interdisciplinary field, now present in all inhabited continents and with upwards of 20,000 academic participants in at least 130 nations and territories, and likely more (Smith ; Smith and Sundblom ). Voluntaristics, although clearly a young discipline, has developed out of nonprofit and voluntary sector studies, philanthropy studies, civil society studies, third sector studies, nonprofit management studies, social and solidarity economy studies, social movement studies, cooperatives research, self-help/mutual aid group studies, and related fields that have emerged since 1970. After more than four decades of expansion, voluntaristics now qualifies as a new, global, integrative academic discipline in the socio-behavioral sciences and related social professions, not just as one of many interdisciplinary fields of research, according to six defining criteria for a discipline. However, the author prefers to label voluntaristics as an inter-discipline (another neologism), since its hallmark is the interdisciplinary study of all, voluntary nonprofit sector (vnps) phenomena. Such vnps phenomena range from individual voluntary actions and roles, through all kinds of nonprofit groups and organizations (including voluntary associations, nonprofit or voluntary agencies, philanthropic foundations, volunteer service programs), to social movements, revolutions, and the entire vnps and its relationships to the government, business, and household/family sectors. For the first time, this survey article summarizes research on the development and institutionalization of voluntaristics, using the latter as one word to refer to the global, interdisciplinary field and emerging academic discipline focused on the study of voluntary action, the vnps, third sector, charitable/charity sector, philanthropy and giving, civil society, civil society sector, nonprofit organizations (npos), nongovernmental organizations (ngo), nonprofit agencies, associations, volunteer service programs, foundations, social enterprises, social entrepreneurship, altruism, morality, mutual aid and self-help, cooperatives, social movements, social protest and dissent, social solidarity, the solidarity economy, and the social economy. Various journal articles regarding such growth have been published recently, and this article draws on these and other, original data gathered by the author and colleagues. Issues/topics examined in Part One of this article include the following: Part Two of the article discusses application of voluntaristics knowledge by practitioners and policy-makers, trends in research and theory, the formation of an arnova Common Interest Group on Voluntaristics, 46 hypotheses about the causes of the recent exponential growth of voluntaristics, other needed research, and the possible futures of voluntaristics as a global, academic discipline or inter-discipline. In an insightful and influential book entitled Chaos of Disciplines, Abbott () argues that it will be very difficult, if not impossible, for any new academic discipline to emerge and enter into the canonical set of current socio-behavioral sciences, as existent now for about the past 100 years in the usa and to a lesser extent elsewhere. In this article, by contrast, I contend that one or more powerful, validated, and integrative, multi-disciplinary theories of behavior may bring about such inclusion of voluntaristics as an accepted, new, integrative, socio-behavioral science, academic discipline or inter-discipline. My new S-Theory (Synanthrometics; Smith , , 2016b) is one such theory. An additional, integrative theory of voluntaristics organizations, groups, collectivities, and networks would further assist this process. Two Appendices present valuable, auxiliary information:

The Covid-19 Pandemic has changed the nature and importance of arts communication, exhibition and promotion via social media. However, moving fully online has highlighted global inequalities in digital inclusion and access, with inherent biases towards content from the West and larger cultural institutions with sufficient technical, human and financial resources in order to survive through the Covid-19 Pandemic. This paper investigates how non-profit art spaces in Hanoi, Vietnam, developed their use of Facebook for effective communication, exhibition and promotion of Vietnamese art and culture during the first closure of physical premises. With the shift of all work online due to Covid-19 Pandemic social distancing measures, Facebook provided non-profit art spaces with a viable digital solution at a time of increased pressure to connect with the audience. Facebook provided a way to overcome challenges faced by non-profit art spaces with lack of financial, human and technical resources, by providing a free and widely accessible social media platform. The current study draws upon a digital ethnography of Facebook posts over 2 months and 50 semi-structured interviews with cultural professionals in Hanoi. The findings highlight changes in the use of Facebook, the digital strategies that were created for working fully online, and how art spaces maintained connection with the audience during the closure of physical premises between March and April 2020. This study identifies changes in social media usage patterns in three main ways: 1) the introduction of using Facebook for digital exhibition and holding live events, 2) changes in type of promotional content, and 3) changes in communication style with the introduction of an effective rhetoric of care. Together, the findings highlight changes in the nature and importance of arts communication, exhibition and promotion via social media in the cultural sector due the Covid-19 Pandemic. Developments over this time could help provide a sustainable solution to overcome challenges faced in the cultural sector in Vietnam and overcome global inequalities in access and inclusion online.

Introduction: Despite government support of culturally appropriate sex and relationships education (SRE), young people's access to information is limited and sexual health needs are not being met, particularly among youth from black and minority ethnic groups. Joint‐working between health, education, voluntary sectors and parents has been heralded as key in redressing inequalities in sexual health outcomes and access to information. Our study focuses on SRE provision for young Muslim Bangladeshis, highlighting the complexities involved in streamlining SRE messages. Objective: To explore stakeholder views about SRE and ways to improve SRE delivery. Design: Sixteen semi‐structured interviews were conducted in 2005 with stakeholders from schools, National Health Service, and parent and voluntary sector bodies in a London borough. Results: Two key factors enhancing Bangladeshi youth's risk of infection and unwanted pregnancy were identified: inadequate parental understanding about sexual health and limited parent‐delivered SRE; and patchy provision of culturally appropriate, school‐based SRE. Factors affecting SRE provision included culturally rooted perceptions of sex/sexuality and limited participation of stakeholders, (religious leaders, parents), in developing and delivering SRE. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of widespread community engagement, underlining that joint‐working, and the development and delivery of culturally appropriate and consistent SRE, necessitates communication and collaboration among stakeholders in young people's health and well‐being.

Mental Health in the Context of Health Disparities

The Challenge of Providing Culturally Competent Services