Place, belonging and the determinants of volunteering

Abstract

In this paper we discuss findings from our ethnography investigating how volunteering in local associational life is changing, asking whether structural factors fixed in localities remain important, or whether as others have suggested, volunteering is becoming disembedded from place. Across two locations we observe how situational variables including belonging, identification and interaction remain important determinants of volunteering, and how the relationship between people and their localities has distinct meanings. In one locality, people participated as volunteers because they had a strong sense of belonging, in the other, they often volunteered because they wanted to belong. We conclude that local voluntary association is important in forming bridges between people in 'places' and wider society, but find that differing notions of belonging mean that localities are not equally situated to operate as effective conduits. We conclude that understanding these dynamics is important for outside agencies in delivering support and public services.

Determinants of Volunteering Within a Social Housing Community

“…In sum, previous research has found rates of volunteering to be lower within areas of deprivation (McCulloch et al 2012;Clifford 2012) and amongst those with lower physical health (Onyx and Warburton 2003;Southby et al 2019), mental health (Mellor et al 2009), and mental wellbeing (Son and Wilson 2012b). While the observed relationships between deprivation, health, and volunteering are useful and valid at the population scale, there have been recent questions raised on how these relationships stand up in particular places and communities (Dallimore et al 2018). This has methodological implications as it suggests moving away from population-level data and instead conducting a focused examination of homogenous groups with shared characteristics.…”

“…From a utility-based decision-making perspective, it can be inferred that the opportunity costs of giving time freely are lower for those with more human and social capital resources to facilitate volunteering (Son and Wilson 2015;Wilson and Musick 1997). However, resource theory is less applicable where there is a high degree of homogeneity within places (Dallimore et al 2018). Within more homogenous places, the role of socioeconomic status is reduced and often replaced by considerations of cultural standing (Wilson and Musick 1997).…”

“…Within more homogenous places, the role of socioeconomic status is reduced and often replaced by considerations of cultural standing (Wilson and Musick 1997). One explanation rests on the acquisition of a volunteering 'habit' because people are placed in a particular social context where the skills and dispositions towards volunteering are collectively developed Janoski et al (1998) cited in Dallimore et al (2018).…”

Community event sustainability: why don’t people volunteer?

“…However, studies using methods such as telephone interviews (e.g. Shye, 2010) and self-report surveys (Kerwin, Warner, Walker, & Stevens, 2015), suggest that volunteering is both altruistic and confers benefits on the volunteer, with a sense of belonging and making friends identified as important factors (Dallimore et al, 2018;Shye, 2010;Van Willigen, 2000). Ideas such as social exchange theory (SET, with concepts collated and critiqued by Emerson, 1976) and altruistic surplus theory (Cunningham, 1996) suggest balances of 'give and take' are at play in volunteering, but differ in how they conceptualise rewards.…”

Selling volunteering or developing volunteers? Approaches to promoting sports volunteering

“…Developing underlying values has recently been found to be important in encouraging young people to make a habit of engaging in volunteering. Dallimore et al (2018) applied Bourdieu's concept of habitus; as a set of predispositions; a factor explaining continuity in an individual's volunteering. Thus a set of studies support the view that once developed, underlying values and identity can underpin volunteering.…”