Part I: The Classification of Civil Society, Nonprofit and Third Sector Organizations

Abstract

The classification of civil society organizations by their characteristics seems quite straightforward. But in practice there are real challenges in both agreeing and applying a classification system consistently, particularly if the process needs to be automated. In this chapter we explore what is meant by the classification of civil society, describe its history, and then set out some of the opportunities and challenges that advances in theory and methods might pose for developing classification in the coming years.