Vereinsforschung in der Erweiterung

Knowledge about the complex history of voluntary associations is one of the key aspects to understanding the organization of modern society. There is, however, a remarkable lack of suitable approaches for analyzing them.We suggest four strategies for historicizing voluntary associations: Considering the specific sociological type of organization; dealing with the changeable motives of members; looking at intricate relations between societal and state actors; and understanding the sphere of voluntary associations as a social network.We conclude that these perspectives will lead to new insights in the history of voluntary associations, with all its continuities, tensions and transformations.