TY - JOUR

T1 - Place, belonging and the determinants of volunteering

AU - Dallimore, David

AU - Davis, Howard

AU - Eichsteller, Marta

AU - Mann, Robin

PY - 2018/3

Y1 - 2018/3

N2 - In this paper we discuss findings from our ethnography examining 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 external agencies in planning local public service delivery.

AB - In this paper we discuss findings from our ethnography examining 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 external agencies in planning local public service delivery.

KW - volunteering

KW - civil society

KW - participation

KW - belonging

KW - biographical

KW - association

U2 - 10.1332/204080518X15161941913849

DO - 10.1332/204080518X15161941913849

M3 - Article

VL - 9

SP - 21

EP - 38

JO - Voluntary Sector Review

JF - Voluntary Sector Review

SN - 2040-8056

IS - 1

ER -