ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the third sector, a term that refers to “intermediate organizations” that interact with the state (first sector), and the market (second sector). Phillips discusses how the third sector is located in Asia, and explores the scope of third sector research in Asia, focusing on local researchers from a range of countries. She also examines the rise of social enterprises, the core relationship between the third sector and the state, and the relationship between third sector organizations’ functions, such as advocacy and welfare service delivery, and democratization and citizenship.
