ABSTRACT

This chapter reflects on the roles, status and motivations of people associated with Irish organizations in aid of the unemployed and it discusses key issues concerning the ways these organizations function. It explains the state driven approach to community development, which has taken place in Ireland. The chapter considers the implications of people's involvement in pro-unemployed organizations and to do this it is divided into two parts: Firstly, some organizational and social issues that may be particular to the Irish case and helpful in understanding it are reviewed; and some of the empirical findings that emerged from a research project, offers an snapshot of the people that are associated with Irish organizations in aid of the unemployed. The chapter reviews contextual factors that account for the increasing presence of community and voluntary organizations in the unemployment policy sector. The unemployed are increasingly associated with the organizations not as active participants but rather as service recipients.