Introduction
Back to: Volunteering
Studies show that the number of citizens who give voluntary support to different societal groups is continuosly increasing. People of all ages and professions volunteer time and energy for working with children, seniors, migrants, handicapped persons, animals or in the field of environment protection. Especially in the course of the so-called „refugee crisis“ many European citizens showed readiness and commitment, creating a „welcome culture“ with very kind, sympathetic vibes.
As we already learned in the previous course section the background of volunteering – and prosocial behaviour in general – usually is not a pure altruistic motivation, but a combination of altruism and egoism. Most people would not „sacrifice themselves“ unless they felt that their support gives them something back. Recent studies found that volunteering offers lots of benefits: Persons helping others in need or supporting societal concerns are connected with other people, they learn new skills, they find fun and fulfilment and a sense of purpose in life. Furthermore, it could be stated that volunteering can reduce stress, protect the mental and physical health and advance professional careers. Thus, at best volunteereng can make people „healthier and happier“1