Description
Book SynopsisDrawing on extensive survey data and written accounts of citizen engagement, this pioneering book charts change and continuity in voluntary activity since 1981. Part of the Third Sector Research Series.
Trade Review“… a pioneering study that addresses fundamental questions… It enriches the literature on volunteering and provides new insights ... a much needed contribution to the theory and practice of voluntary activity in contemporary Britain.” Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations
"The book, which is part of the Third Sector Research Series, is groundbreaking and fascinating. I expected a tedious read, but what I encountered was elegant writing and innovative methods, paired with interesting findings…. I applaud the authors for not taking volunteering as a monolithic phenomenon, but rather successfully highlighting its complexities… be assured that the book is a must read for every student of volunteering and/or civic society." Voluntary Sector Review (Ram Cnaan)
“An important and innovative contribution to understanding how and why people engage in voluntary activity; how important they feel it is in their lives; and the ways in which it contributes to the wider community.” Colin Rochester, London School of Economics
Table of ContentsIntroduction; The changing policy environment for voluntary action from 1979; Data, sources and definitions; Trends in volunteering and trends in the voluntary sector; Content and Context of Volunteering; Why people volunteer: contextualising motivation; Volunteering trajectories: individual patterns of volunteering over the life-course; Attitudes to voluntary action; Conclusion.
