Conceptualizing a hybrid people’s-organization : complement, change, and mix between a neighborhood organization and an association

This study envisions a hybrid people’s-organization for disaster recovery that effectively facilitates the transition from a disaster impacted community to the "next society." First, previous sociological studies of the formation and functioning of groups and the historical transition of neighborhood organizations (e.g., residents' associations) and associations (e.g., volunteers) are overviewed. The present need for a hybrid between a neighborhood organization and an association reflects the fact that membership in each has become ambiguous and neighborhood organizations have become hollowed out in terms of energy and focus while associations fail to exhibit change-oriented movement qualities on the other. We also note that conventional neighborhood organizations have had seminal elements of associations and that the relationship not only between neighborhood organizations and associations but also between these organizations and the capital-nation-state should be considered. Referring to discussions on exchange theory and multitude, characteristics of networking agents such as freedom, diversity, autonomy, and cooperativeness are shown. Finally, summarizing these discussions, the viewpoints and characteristics for analyzing people’s organizations are presented, and three steps of complement, change, and mix between neighborhood organizations and associations are suggested for envisioning hybrid people’s-organizations.