This book provides a comprehensive overview of the latest theory and practice for volunteer involvement. It represents a milestone for knowledge of how and why volunteers become involved and will be essential reading for practitioners, policy makers and funders. Offering exercises and examples from practice, it introduces concepts for understanding volunteers’ agency and for critically assessing ways in which those who seek to involve volunteers can respond to rapidly changing environments. The authors draw on a combination of theoretical perspectives and practical experiences to develop approaches based on individuals and community strengths and assets, underlining the need for conviviality, respect and enjoyment in volunteer involvement.
Author(s): Jurgen Grotz, Ruth Leonard
Publisher: Palgrave Pivot
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 189
City: Cham
Preface
Acknowledgements
Contents
About the Authors
Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Introduction
1.1 What Is Volunteering?
1.2 Where Does Volunteering Take Place?
1.2.1 Children’s Education, Schools
1.2.2 Youth, Children’s Activities, Outside School
1.2.3 Adult Education
1.2.4 Sport, Exercise, Taking Part, Coaching or Going to Watch
1.2.5 Religion
1.2.6 Politics
1.2.7 Older People
1.2.8 Health, Disability and Social Welfare
1.2.9 Safety, First Aid
1.2.10 The Environment, Animal Welfare
1.2.11 Justice and Human Rights
1.2.12 Local Community or Neighbourhood Groups
1.2.13 Citizens’ Groups
1.2.14 Hobbies, Recreation, Arts, Social Clubs
1.2.15 Trade Union Activity
1.3 Involving Volunteers
1.3.1 On Not Using ‘Formal’ or ‘Informal’ Volunteering
1.3.2 Organisations Involving Volunteers
1.4 How Many People Volunteer and Why?
1.5 Summary and Conclusions
References
2 Historical and Conceptual Background
2.1 A Very Short History of Volunteering and Volunteer Involvement
2.2 Conceiving Volunteering
2.2.1 Volunteering for Someone Else
2.2.2 Volunteering for Each Other
2.2.3 Volunteering for Oneself
2.2.4 Volunteering for Democracy
2.2.5 Volunteering to Change the World
2.2.6 Volunteering Abroad
2.2.7 ‘Not Being a Volunteer’
2.3 Two Models of Volunteer Involvement
2.4 Volunteer Involvement and the State
2.5 Volunteer Involvement and Ideology
2.6 Summary and Conclusion
References
3 Critical Perspectives and Potential Negative Impacts
3.1 Criticism
3.1.1 Volunteers as Unpaid Labour
3.1.2 Volunteers as a Reserve Force in Emergencies
3.1.3 Volunteering for ‘Not in My Back Yard’ Campaigns
3.1.4 Volunteering as Antiquated and Colonial
3.2 Misconduct
3.2.1 Misconduct of Volunteers
3.2.2 Misconduct by Volunteer Involving Organisations
3.2.3 Misconduct as Transgression
3.3 Negative Impacts
3.3.1 Negative Impact of Volunteering on Volunteers
3.3.2 Negative Impact of Volunteering on Volunteer Involving Organisations
3.3.3 Negative Impact of Volunteering on Beneficiaries and the Wider Community
3.3.4 The Benefit Fallacy
3.4 Summary and Conclusion
References
4 Volunteer Involvement in Practice
4.1 Involving and Being Involved: The Roles People Play
4.2 Agency Within Agencies
4.2.1 VCSE with no Paid Staff
4.2.2 VCSE with Paid Staff
4.2.3 VCSE with Staff and Volunteer-Led Branches, Groups
4.2.4 Public Services
4.2.5 Private Business
4.2.6 Volunteering Infrastructure Organisations
4.2.7 Associations
4.3 Relationship Pathways
4.4 Measuring Impact: Knowing the Difference You Make
4.4.1 Towards Outcomes
4.4.2 Assessing What Counts, Attaching Values
4.5 Summary and Conclusion
References
5 Reflective Volunteer Involvement
5.1 Connecting
5.1.1 Planning Volunteer Involvement
5.1.2 Finding Opportunities and Volunteers
5.1.3 Understanding Opportunities and Volunteers
5.2 Collaborating
5.2.1 Communicating
5.2.2 Supporting
5.2.3 Valuing
5.3 Complementing
5.3.1 Inclusion
5.3.2 Problem Solving
5.3.3 Monitoring
5.3.4 Goodbyes
5.4 Summary and Conclusion
References
6 Summary, conclusion and future prospects
6.1 An Example of Our Humanity
6.2 Conceived of in Many Different Ways
6.3 Not Always an Inherently Good Thing
6.4 Based on Relationships
6.5 Reflective Volunteer Involvement
6.6 Concluding Thoughts
References
Glossary
References
Index
