ABSTRACT
Is there a feature of modern societies which encourages communication between business, public sector bodies, voluntary organizations, interest and cause groups, and government? The argument here is that the increased pluralism of UK society (publicly expressed differences of values and behaviours) is the stimulus. This pluralism takes two forms and
Since the 1960s, the United Kingdom has witnessed great, observable changes in personal behaviour by its citizens and in collective behaviour by voluntary groups. Jackall and Hirota (2000: 155) note that the greater and lesser tendency of people to come together ‘into “intellectual” and “moral” associations for purposes of advocacy’ occurs in cycles and they identify the 1960s as a ‘flowering’. The personal behavioural changes derive principally from altered values regarding sex, lifestyle, the environment, race, consumption and religion. They in turn generate social
Business, public and voluntary sector bodies, interest and cause groups can hardly avoid contact with government in modern, liberal, democratic, market-orientated societies. The combined pressures from pluralism of values and of behaviour ensure that contact is always a possibility and is frequently intense.
