第三部門的概念化與界定之探究

Exploring the Conceptualization and Definition of the Third Sector

謝杏慧(Shing-Huei Shie)

《聯合勸募論壇》 3期 (2013/09) Pp. 1-22

摘要

近來成為政策倡議與執行主力的第三部門組織，常被稱為非政府或非營利組織，凸顯出許多組織難以非公即私的概念來歸類的事實與組織屬性模糊的現象。不同的用詞所指涉的對象與意涵有所不同，除與各國意識形態與環境系絡的差異有關外，更因研究問題與觀點的不一而有差別，既容易造成誤解，也難以進行比較研究。本文首先以雙部門模式來分析第三部門的定位，其次探討第三部門一詞的使用源起、背景與意涵，復次探究歐美第三部門所指涉的對象範疇與爭論，以瞭解第三部門的動態性，再次則分析第三部門概念化所採用的外衍與內生途徑及相關研究的定義，最後整合概念化途徑將第三部門界定為理念型的導引概念。

關鍵字

非營利組織 ； 公民社會 ； 社會經濟 ； 第三部門 ； 新第三部門

並列摘要

Over the past decades, a large number of the third sector organizations as advocate and implementer of public policy have been called as 'non-governmental organizations' or 'non-profit organizations' in practice. However, these organizations have been ignored by the public and private sector for decades. Yet, there is no straight way through the terminological mire of the world's third sector organizations, although each of the above terms can be seen as locally embedded, and its usage can be traced back to specific cultural, social, economic and political contexts. This paper, firstly, attempts to use a two-sector model to give a clear perspective on the third sector. Secondly, it explores the moment of origin for the term 'third sector', which seems to date back to public policy discussions in the 1970s. Thirdly, it focuses on European and American contexts and therefore explores scope and debates of the third sector. Furthermore, it analyzes both exclusive and inclusive approaches to definition about, in or for the third sector and its components. Finally, it suggests that the third sector could be seen as an ideal guiding concept with its need to embrace the existing diversity of terms and labels.