French NGOs in the Global Era: A Distinctive Role in International Development (French Politics, Society and Culture)

This book provides a systematic account of the changing priorities, procedures and practices of French NGOs active in overseas development work. It explores whether French NGOs are eschewing wider trends in the Northern NGO sector and uses Resource Dependence theory and a case study of NGO field-work in Cameroon to shed light on these actors. Contents......Page 8 List of Illustrations......Page 10 List of Abbreviations......Page 11 Acknowledgements......Page 15 1 Introduction: French NGOs in a Global Context......Page 16 Emerging International Trends......Page 18 Honing in on the French Case......Page 23 The Literature on French NGOs......Page 25 Aims and Focus......Page 28 Methodology......Page 30 Outline of the Study......Page 31 In Search of a Definition......Page 33 Making Sense of the French NGO Sector......Page 37 Why Study Developmental NGOs......Page 50 Useful Theoretical Perspectives......Page 56 A Resource Dependence Model......Page 62 4 French NGDOs and their Resource Landscape......Page 69 The French Central State......Page 70 Other Official Sources......Page 73 Private Sources......Page 78 5 French NGDOs and the State: Paving the Way for a New Partnership?......Page 86 Early French NGO–State Relations......Page 87 Towards a New Rapport: Overtures by the State......Page 90 A Measured Response from French NGDOs......Page 96 6 Towards Professionalisation?......Page 104 Early Militancy and Amateurism......Page 108 Promoting 'Bureaucratic' Professionalisation......Page 111 Towards a 'Development Monoculture'?......Page 114 7 Working for or Working on the State?......Page 133 Early French State Priorities......Page 135 Early NGDO Priorities......Page 139 The State's New-found Prerogatives......Page 146 A Cautious Welcome from French NGDOs......Page 151 Misreading their Resource Environment?......Page 164 Enacting their Environment......Page 179 Choosing a Case Study......Page 192 Origins and Evolution of the PCPA......Page 194 Overtures by the French State......Page 198 Embracing the State's Advances or Keeping a Safe Distance?......Page 201 Resource Dependence......Page 206 10 Conclusion: A Distinctive Role in International Development......Page 214 Annex A: List of Interviews......Page 223 Annex B: List of Main French NGO Federations......Page 225 Annex C: Key French Members of the Altermondialiste Movement......Page 227 Notes......Page 228 Bibliography......Page 251 B......Page 260 C......Page 261 E......Page 262 G......Page 263 M......Page 264 R......Page 265 U......Page 266 W......Page 267 Aimed at undergraduate and postgraduates studying French Studies, NGOs and Development Studies, this book provides the first systematic account of the changing priorities, procedures and practices of French NGOs active in overseas development work.