This study examines how intersectional identity congruence between leaders and members of associations shapes volunteering behaviors and outcomes. Drawing on the American Society of Association Executives’ Decision to Volunteer survey and using the intersection of gender and race identities, we find that board–member congruence is associated with more time volunteered, whereas executive director–member congruence shows limited association. Strikingly, intersectional congruence with boards is associated with lower volunteer satisfaction. Applying an intersectional framework to leadership–member representation reveals the complex implications of the multiplicity of identities across and within individuals.

This article initiates a conversation on how contemporary Eastern European peripheralization and the hegemony of the energy transition impact social struggles, introducing the concept of “Periphery in Movement.” Through the examination of Serbia’s anti-extractivist movement against the mining corporation Rio Tinto, we ground this concept through three core specificities. The first is the power imbalance positioning the movement in opposition to corporate interests, the European Union, and national elites. The second is the conflictual convergence of civil actors, who have undergone significant ideological and practical transformations from the Yugoslav Wars to the present. The third specificity is the “how” of Periphery in Movement and its new political propositionalities and potentials. Periphery in Movement expands beyond traditional civil society and social movement studies by addressing struggles at the Eastern European periphery that build propositional and life-preserving resistance.

Based on an integrative review of research on European post-socialist civil societies over the past three decades, we critically examine: (1) how civil society is conceptualized and from whose position; (2) the methodologies employed in this knowledge production, including any reflections on the usefulness and conditions of such knowledge; and (3) existing knowledge gaps and areas where further development is needed within this body of literature. We distinguish between three theoretical approaches to European post-socialist civil societies, the Western-centric, critical, and triple-embedded approaches, based on their embeddedness in the field, closeness to the research subjects, and aspirations to include them in theory-building. We argue that a shift from a structural perspective on civil societies in the region has taken place into a perspective focusing on agency and developments on the ground in the past decade.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the increasing frequency of extreme natural events fueled by climate change have highlighted the pressing need for countries to develop effective strategies for mitigating and responding to current and future crises and disasters. While civil society organizations (CSOs) are gaining increasing recognition as key actors by governments worldwide, there remains a lack of comprehensive research on their roles across different types of crises and throughout the various stages of the disaster cycle. This systematic literature review aims to explore and analyze the current knowledge about the roles of CSOs across diverse crises and phases of crisis and disaster management. The findings reveal that CSOs primarily perform three key roles: protecting human life, facilitating societal and individual resilience and recovery, and advocating for affected communities and individuals. While these roles are present across diverse crises, their emphasis varies depending on the nature of the disaster and the geographical context. The review also highlights a lack of research on the contributions of CSOs in disaster risk reduction (DRR) beyond natural hazards and outside the Asian context. The article concludes by identifying key areas for further research, emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of CSOs’ roles in different crisis contexts and geographical regions.