Organised civil society in Greece is generally regarded as weak with rankings for associational density, volunteerism and levels of social capital traditionally among the lowest in Europe. Austerity and the Third Sector in Greece explores the context behind the statistics and general perceptions of a society of takers, not givers. Stereotypes of a country living beyond its means have been exacerbated by the Eurozone crisis but, since 2008, there has in fact been a great proliferation of organised civil society initiatives in the country. Has the financial crisis seen a belated awakening of Greek civil society? Offering a broad overview of contemporary civil society in Greece this book explores how various characteristics of the country's socio-political context have affected the development of the third sector and examines the effect of the economic crisis on it. Expert contributors combine macro-level analyses with local case studies to form a fascinating new study on the influences of national and regional context on civil society development. Their findings provide not only for a better understanding of similar movements, but also contribute to wider academic debates on societal responses to economic crises.

Offering a broad overview of contemporary civil society in Greece this book explores how various characteristics of the country's socio-political context have affected the development of the third sector and examines the effect of the economic crisis on it. Expert contributors combine macro-level analyses with local case studies to form a fascinating new study on the influences of national and regional context on civil society development. Their findings provide not only for a better understanding of similar movements, but also contribute to wider academic debates on societal responses to economic crises.

Offering a broad overview of contemporary civil society in Greece this book explores how various characteristics of the country's socio-political context have affected the development of the third sector and examines the effect of the economic crisis on it. Expert contributors combine macro-level analyses with local case studies to form a fascinating new study on the influences of national and regional context on civil society development. Their findings provide not only for a better understanding of similar movements, but also contribute to wider academic debates on societal responses to economic crises.

This volume uses new empirical evidence and analytical ideas to study phenomena of fragmentation and exclusion threatening stability and cohesion in Greek society in the aftermath of the crisis. The contributors argue that processes of fragmentation and exclusion provoked by the crisis can be observed on both a material and an ideational level. On a material level, rising levels of unemployment, poverty and inequality have produced new social security “outsiders”, while on an ideational level, a discursive-cultural shift is documented, which has led to new understandings and categorizations of new (and old) insiders and outsiders. Moreover, the volume attests to the aspirations, but also the limitations, of spontaneous civil society mobilization to address the social crisis. Finally, the volume offers a discussion of the political management of social fragmentation and exclusion in Greece both before and after the onset of the crisis. The book will be of interest to scholars and students of social policy and phenomena of poverty, social exclusion and economic inequality, civil society studies, and comparative political economy and politics.

The Oxford Handbook of Modern Greek Politics is a major new contribution to the study of contemporary European and Greek politics. This edited volume contains 43 chapters written by Greek and foreign academics foremost in their field. After an introductory section, offering a frame of analysis, the volume includes sections on political institutions, traditions and party families, political and social interest groups, policy-making and policy sectors, external relations, and Greece's most important political leaders of the period between the 1974 transition to democracy and today. It will be an invaluable reference for scholars, new and established, as well as for the informed reader around the world. This work offers the most comprehensive approach to the subject to this day. Drawing on data and analysis previously available only in national sources (Greek books, articles, and other primary and secondary sources), in combination with international data, it allows international scholars of politics, international relations, society, and economy to integrate the case of Greece in their own projects; and facilitates the search of any informed reader who seeks a reliable, updated source on Modern Greece.

The seemingly vitalizing impact of religiosity on civil society is a research topic that has been extensively looked into, not only in the USA, but increasingly also in a European context. What is missing is an evaluation of the role of institutionalized religious communities, and of circumstances that facilitate or impede their status as civil society organisations. This anthology in two volumes aims at closing this gap by providing case studies regarding political, legal and historical aspects in various European countries. Vol. I provides an introduction and looks at cases in Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as chapters on legal issues and data, and comprehensive bibliography.