Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
9-2019
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Program
Liberal Studies
Advisor
John Krinsky
Subject Categories
Sociology | Urban Studies and Planning | Work, Economy and Organizations
Keywords
Nonprofits, New York City, Labor Unions, Social Services, Social Advocacy, Labor Practices
Abstract
Over the past century, the nonprofit sector has undergone major transformations in size and function. Expansion of federal social programs in the 1960s increased funding, but subsequent retrenchment promoted subcontracting and the rise of non-union nonprofit labor.
Today, nonprofit workers perform much of the nation’s social service and advocacy work, often without union protections and representation.
Focusing on New York City, this study examines the “nonprofit labor paradox,” wherein progressive organizations advance justice-oriented missions while maintaining substandard labor practices. Drawing on ethnographic interviews with frontline nonprofit workers, this study highlights the prevalence of certain workplace conditions including: overtime work, substandard benefits and pay, and organizational hierarchies. Findings show the emergence of collective, oppositional identities that support workers' pro-union sentiment, alongside a declining emphasis on altruism as workers assert the value of their labor.
Recommended Citation
Castellan, Celia, "You Can’t Eat Altruism: Searching for Workplace Democracy at New York City’s Nonprofits" (2019). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/3392
