Week 9: Volunteerism

Question 1

Brudney and Meijs

Answer 1

(2009) - Recycle volunteers

3 points:

1. Volunteer energy = human-made
2. Continuation and volume of flow of volunteers can be affected positively and negatively by human intervention
   3 Policies to promote and facilitate volunteering

Question 2

Maes

Answer 2

(2012) - Abuse volunteerism Ethiopia

2 points:

1. NGO pressures volunteers to ignore material and financial returns for their labour –> instead focus on “mental and spiritual benefits”
2. Complexity and ambivalence of volunteers’ motivations = shaped by organisations = psychosocial benefits

Question 3

Zhuang

Answer 3

(2010) - Beijing Olympics

4 points:

1. Volunteerism in China = cultural meaning
2. Philanthropy contributes to the consolidation of the regime –> allocated $ and made policies to encourage people
3. Budgetary reasons and for community to feel involve (strengthen image of China)
4. Many university students volunteered to increase their social network and graduate employability (= self-interested)

Question 4

Conran

Answer 4

(2011) - Voluntourism

4 points:

1. Voluntourism = people pay to volunteer = 1 of fastest growing alternative tourism
2. Volunteerism has been commodified to get volunteers
3. Voluntourism = question of individual morality –> seek to address outcome rather than cause of under development (= global capitalism)
4. Voluntourism needs to address policies and practices which perpetuate and exacerbate the structural inequality on which it is based

Question 5

Lecture

Answer 5

1. (assumption) volunteerism = willingly, for free and normative “good”
2. Political and economic situations shape demand and supply of volunteers (media)
3. Demand (states and NGOs)
4. Supply (motivation): Location and socioeconomic status = important - “post-materialist theory”
5. Costs and benefits (4)
6. Politics of volunteerism: space and motivations of volunteering = important
7. Regulation for volunteers = way for state to control (ex: law NGOs having to pay volunteers)
8. Voluntourism = marketised volunteering

Question 6

Extra

Answer 6

1. NGO United Planet

2. Agier (2008) Turnover of volunteers can be problematic and volunteers expect “adventurous experiences”