Although the way associations and the organization of local social life are intertwined is one of the oldest approaches to community study, the way citizens and residents come together informally to act and solve problems has rarely been a primary focus. Associations are central to important and developing areas of social theory and social action. This handbook takes voluntary associations as the starting point for making sense of communities. It offers a new perspective on voluntary organizations and gives an integrated, yet diverse, theoretical understanding of this important aspect of community life.

The book features the work of leading researchers drawn from diverse areas of research and social theory whose work overlaps with the world of local associations. They offer theoretical perspectives and review relevant literature. This book will form the foundation for a discipline in social science study as well as a sophisticated resource useful to practitioners around theworld.