Who Are the Powerful Actors? An Analysis of Brokerage in the Networks of Organizations Dealing with Unemployment and Precariousness

This chapter assesses the importance of brokerage in the multi-organizational field of unemployment. Similar sets of policies targeting the unemployed can translate into different sets of opportunities for civil society actors. A crucial aspect regards the unique position that each actor has at the intersection of the public and the policy domains. In particular, we found that the more civil society organizations play a gatekeeping role, the more they are politically engaged in terms of mobilization, lobbying, and general activities. Second, similar sets of policies targeting the unemployed shape the whole field via different relational properties. In particular, the presence of mighty gatekeepers has emerged as a priority, beyond the relationship between brokerage and political engagement at the actor level.