The Changing Tides of Volunteering in Development: Discourse, Knowledge and Practice

Abstract

This article explores the changing narratives of volunteering in development and the interplay of volunteering with global and local theories of how change happens. Firstly, we analyse the links between the evolution of mainstream development trends and changes in volunteering approaches and programmes. Secondly, we look at how changing conceptions of volunteering have repositioned international volunteering in relation to national and local contexts. Thirdly, we present the implications of shifts in understandings of knowledge creation, which happens from the ground up, on volunteering research and programming. This discussion is situated within pressure for 'results' within contemporary development discourse and practice. The article concludes that the volunteering sector is at a crossroads; organisations working in meaningful partnerships with volunteers from local to global levels must remain at the forefront -questioning mainstream trends and advocating people-centred development. This article draws on a literature review undertaken to inform the Valuing Volunteering project.

Inequality in Volunteering: Building a New Research Front

“…These works expose a geopolitics of knowledge production that has universalized viewpoints and experiences from the Global North (Baillie Smith et al, 2019Smith et al, , 2021Butcher & Einolf, 2017;Lough, 2021). As observed by Lough (2021), despite the recent publication of important works considering how hierarchies of class, race, and power influence knowledge production on volunteering (Butcher & Einolf, 2017;Cheung Judge, 2017;Lopez Franco & Shahrokh, 2015;Shachar, 2014;, ''much more effort is needed to engage and include the voices of people 'most outside the system' in the legitimate construction and application of knowledge about volunteering'' (Lough, 2021, p.4).…”

Volunteer translators in non-governmental organizations: exploring their identity and power through discourse analysis

“…The need for immediate communication in a society characterized by ongoing political and economic change has led to an increase in volunteer translating in contexts that attempt to close social gaps among the most disadvantaged sectors. The volunteer, often called "the good citizen" and considered a key player in society, has been defined as a person who undertakes an altruistic activity (López Franco and Shahrokh 2015). Although several sectors may benefit from the work of volunteers, research generally focuses on the third sector (Moulaert et al 2017), where volunteering implies a feeling of commitment and responsibility linked to the idea of cooperation with the community (Grönlund 2011).…”

International Volunteer Service

“…Indeed, some have argued that international service in this context is a new form of neocolonialism (Nalungwe, 2018;Tiessen, 2018). Others suggest that if programs truly have the needs of host communities in mind, it may be more cost effective to support local organizations and professionals rather than to fund Northern volunteers (Lopez Franco & Shahrokh, 2015). Each of these developments is covered in greater detail below.…”