Third sector, partnerships and social outcome. The cases of Italy and Ireland

The book collects contributions from A. Bassi, F. Powell, M. Geoghegan and L. Boccacin. They illustrate two national cases-studies, concerning Italy and Ireland in a comparative perspective, in order to evaluate the most recent social, cultural and institutional development of social partnerships between state, market, and third sector. From a sociological point of view, the term ‘partnership’ refers to a structural configuration characterized by the co-presence of different social subjects – state, market and third sector – and by reciprocal and collaborative social action that seeks to achieve project goals and is based on the implementation of mostly medium to long-term relations.The Italian and the Irish cases are analyzed, in order to understand experiences of social partnerships, different ways of their realization, risks or critical points and opportunities.