Civil Society and Social Movements
The research area conducts research linked to changes in the public sector and civil society with a special focus on welfare policy and social work. Research projects in the field study the changing conditions and organization of welfare, as well as how civil society is affected by, affects, and is involved in the development of the welfare state. In the area, comparative analyzes are made of civil societies in different countries and studies on how Europeanisation affects Swedish civil society.
First formed in the autumn of 2008, CSSA is a research group focusing on civil society from the social work perspective, lead by professors Anna Meeuwisse and Håkan Johansson. The group builds on a tradition at Lund University's School of Social Work to conduct research on voluntary social work. One overall area of interest is the study of changing conditions of welfare systems and organisation and how NGOs are affected by and involved in shaping the development of the welfare state. The group includes researchers associated with the School of Social Work, as well as PhD students and researchers from other universities.
Research themes:
The affiliated researchers work with a variety of research projects that relate to the voluntary sector / NGOs for development at local, national and international level. Primarily, NGOs are analysed in light of a changing welfare state and what consequences this has for organisations, such as how the welfare state reforms affects organisations' roles as the advocates and service providers.
Several research projects also have an international focus and study, for example, sharing ideas and organisational models between countries and comparing the voluntary sectorss structure and organisation of the different types of welfare states. A central theme is how an increased supranationalisation affect the voluntary organisations on a national level. This means, for example, various EU initiatives with the objective of influencing the member states' social policy, a new political opportunity structure for NGOs representing disadvantaged groups?
Latest publications within the area
Disability Anti-Discrimination Law: A Tool for Compliance or Path Towards Social Justice?
Disability Anti-Discrimination Law: A Tool for Compliance or Path Towards Social Justice?Sepulchre, M., 2025 Apr 15, (E-...Civil Society Elites and State Consecration: Acceptance, Ambivalence and Rejection of Royal Honours in the UK
Civil Society Elites and State Consecration: Acceptance, Ambivalence and Rejection of Royal Honours in the UKIvanovska H..."What have future generations ever done for us?" Future Expectations and Present Dispositions for Social-Ecological Transformations
"What have future generations ever done for us?" Future Expectations and Present Dispositions for Social-Ecological Tran...”Tillsätt en utredning om patientrörelsens förutsättningar”
”Tillsätt en utredning om patientrörelsens förutsättningar”Millbro, M., Johansson, L.-I., Westerlund, M., Leijon, T., Ca...Between Policy‑oriented Criticism and Structural Opposition: Civil Society Advocacy in the Age of Populism
Between Policy‑oriented Criticism and Structural Opposition: Civil Society Advocacy in the Age of PopulismSantilli, C. &...
Research Portal
Read more about our research, researchers and research output.
Civil Society Elites?
Comparing elite composition, reproduction, integration and contestation in European civil societies
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Democratic consequences of changing engagement in the Swedish disability movement
In debt – Young adults and the dimensions of guilt
Over-indebtedness amongst young adults creates difficulties when entering adulthood and tends to be a long-term problem.