Volunteering, the market, and neoliberalism

DEAN, Jonathan (2015). Volunteering, the market, and neoliberalism. People, place and policy online, 9 (2), 139-148.

[img] PDF (Acceptance communication)
Dean. 2015. Volunteering, the market, and neoliberalism.pdf - Other
Restricted to Repository staff only
All rights reserved.

Download (131kB) | Contact the author
[img]
Preview
PDF
Dean 11194.pdf

Download (191kB) | Preview
Official URL: http://extra.shu.ac.uk/ppp-online/volunteering-the...
Link to published version:: https://doi.org/10.3351/ppp.0009.0002.0005

Abstract

This paper builds on recent literature which has examined how trends in volunteering, at the organisational, operational and policy levels, may be negatively affecting the nature of volunteering itself. Within the hegemony of neoliberalism, theorists and researchers have argued that greater market individualism and flexible capitalism can ultimately damage kinship, collectivism, altruistic tendencies, and social compassion. While participating in volunteering clearly benefits the individual volunteer as well as the person or community they are helping, it is argued that a social order which prioritises benefit to the individual over benefit to the collective may cause potential long-term damage to the act of volunteering. Drawing on the work of theorists from a range of disciplines, this paper aims to frame current developments in volunteering within the wider theoretical critique of marketisation and neoliberalism, particularly those critiques which focus on the damage to or decline of community life.

Item Type: Article
Research Institute, Centre or Group - Does NOT include content added after October 2018: Sociology, Politics and Policy Research Group
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.3351/ppp.0009.0002.0005
Page Range: 139-148
Depositing User: Jon Dean
Date Deposited: 07 Jan 2016 16:14
Last Modified: 18 Mar 2021 05:00
URI: https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/11194

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics