Volunteering: A Tool for Social Inclusion and Promoting the Well-Being of Refugees? A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background: The Norwegian government’s increased expectations that volunteering can be used as a means of integration and the scarce research regarding refugees’ experiences with volunteering is taken as the background for this study. Our purpose is to adopt a salutogenic perspective to investigate whether and how formal volunteering contributes to developing a sense of social inclusion and well-being among refugees in Norway. Methods: Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 volunteers with refugee backgrounds in a semi-rural district in Norway. Stepwise deductive induction was used for analysis. Results: Three themes were identified as a result of the analysis: (1) feeling safer due to increased knowledge regarding cultures, values, and systems and achieving mutual acceptance; (2) feeling more confident when communicating in Norwegian and contributing to society, and (3) feeling more connected via social relations. Conclusions: Our study indicates that participation in volunteering may contribute to social inclusion and that the participants’ resources and volunteering experiences may have a health-promotive impact under certain conditions.

Expanding Older Adults’ Care Choices Utilizing the Proceeds of Reciprocated Volunteerism: Capitalizing on Ghana’s Digitalization Artillery

“…Stated differently, the volunteerism model seeks to assist older adults to get better attention and care. Previous studies have documented that participation encourages the recognition [2] [4] [37] [45] [46] of ordinary persons as social actors who exercise agency in cognition and behaviour [45] [46] including appreciation [47] [48]. Sveen et al [2] also observed that volunteering can be used as a means of social integration.…”

“…Empirical evidence reveals that the voluntary sector should promote fellowship and provide the minority with the opportunity to contribute on an equal footing with the majority [1]. Sveen et al [2] have defined volunteering as a contribution, given freely, in an organized context without any expectation of a reward or other compensation to benefit individuals or groups outside the context of preexisting relationships (p. 1). According to Wilson [3], volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labour for community service (p. 215).…”

“…According to Wilson [3], volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labour for community service (p. 215). The phenomenon of volunteering may take two main forms, namely formal [2] [4] and informal [4] volunteering. In 2019 and 2020, the UN reported the achievement of a 50-50 gender balance among men and women volunteers [5].…”

“…This process seems to be complex and depends on factors such as the organization and inclusivity and helpfulness of the social environment in the organization [7]. Interestingly, participation in volunteering results in the achievement of a higher level of social integration, finding employment and the desire to overcome social isolation, improve language skills and obtain positive public recognition [8] including the fact that formal volunteering fosters the development of a sense of social inclusion and well-being among volunteers [2]. Volunteering is promoted by seven key factors.…”

A Behavioural-Theory-Based Qualitative Study of the Beliefs and Perceptions of Marginalised Populations towards Community Volunteering to Increase Measles Immunisation Coverage in Sabah, Malaysia

“…Community volunteering also significantly helped supplementary immunisation activities (SIAs) for the polio disease in Sabah [ 4 ]. Some of the benefits of volunteering include community empowerment; increased resilience and social connectedness [ 5 ]; fostering a sense of communal trust, belonging [ 6 ], and support; and improving mental health [ 7 ].…”