The Voluntary Sector in Urban Communities

Abstract

A range of questions about the urban voluntary sector is discussed. These questions involve the often contradictory relationships between this sector and population welfare, social structure, and economic development in US cities. The functional linkages between public, private, and voluntary sectors are also considered. Recent political claims that an increase in voluntary activity can substitute for public action are shown to be unwarranted because of the structural reliance of the voluntary sector both on the state and on the market.