The Third Sector
The Third Sector, i.e. social economy; is the economic activities carried on by the social entrepreneurship sector or organizations belonging to the sectors defined as the non-profit sector (Ridley-Duff & Bull, 2011, 12). The third sector is a big, interrelated activities complex, organizing the economic life.
We are living in a global world, where the social structure, economy and politics are changing rapidly. These changes are further increasing the significance of the third sector. The third sector includes areas such as, reducing poverty, rearranging welfare distribution, increasing employment level, education opportunities aimed to reduce unemployment, increase of human and social capital build-up, disadvantaged individuals and groups, creating education and job opportunities for individuals subject to sexual discrimination and individuals or groups subject to ethnic discrimination, providing health services to the poor segment, protection of the natural environment, supporting agriculture, fighting against erosion, preservation of art, museums, historical monuments and cultural values and sustainable development. The third sector, in general, has a different and valuable role in the emergence of a sustainable, wealthy and comprehensive society (Birch & Whittam, 2008, 439; Chaves & Mazon, 2011, 16; Hulgård, 2011, 208; Kendall & Anheier, 2001, 228).