Institutional Frameworks of Volunteering

Back to: Volunteering

Volunteers actively participate in societal and political life. They are indespensible parts of many social and welfare services across Europe. To understand what kind of roles they play we have to take a look at the institutional frameworks in which volunteering is implemented.

A distinction can be made between traditional and new forms of volunteering and their institutional frameworks:

Traditional forms of volunteering
Traditionally, volunteering activities are integrated in major institutions such as welfare associations, churches, parties or trade unions. Rescue services or fire brigades belong to these traditional types as well. These organisations offer specific programmes for disadvantages groups, e.g. homeless people, seniors, prisoners or handicapped. Most people volunteering in the frameworks of those organisations are members . Usually collaborating here requires long-term dedication and commitment.
New forms of volunteering
In the course of the last decades newer forms of volunteering have become more and more popular and widespread: Their frameworks are social, political or environmental movements, campaigns, groups caring for women, families or health, citizens‘ initiatives or self-help groups for various  target groups. Commonly, these groups feature a higher extent of self organisation and flexibility. People volunteering here often have the opportunity of short-term, issue-oriented or project-related commitment.
Studies show that since the mid 1980s there is an increase of both volunteering forms, but the number of persons working in the newer forms is increasing more than in the traditional forms.

Gender specific differences

Volunteers at Workdimitrisvetsikas 1969, pixabay

A German study of 20021 showed that there are major differences between male and female volunteers referring to the type of activities they perform: Whereas men ore overrepresented in all kinds of social-organisational, administrative and political tasks a considerable higher number of women work in classical social fields of volunteering: They are directly involved with seniors, handicapped people or refugees and asylum seekers and they volunteer in hospitals, children’s homes or neighbourhood communities.

It could be found as well that more males are involved when a position offers a higher hierarchical position, status and social recognition. Females, in contrast, are mostly represented in direct social help and support on a level lacking power and recognition.

Footnotes

  1. BI 2000 plus (2000). Altrusimus und Egoismus. Was motiviert zum Ehrenamt?

Project Partners

Casework is a cooperation between the Innovation in Learning Institute (ILI), the ECC Association for Interdisciplinary Consulting and Education, the INTRGEA Institute for Development of Human Potentials, and Oxfam Italy. More info…