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Assessing the 'Why' in Volunteering for Refugees: Exploring Volunteer Motivations
Maikel Meijeren1, Marcel Lubbers2, Peer Scheepers1
1Department of Sociology, Radboud University, Thomas van Aquinostraat 4, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Voluntas : International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations
|June 26, 2023
Summary
Volunteers for refugees are motivated by humanitarian concerns, social justice, and skill development. This study identifies additional motivations including seeking meaning, pragmatism, emotions, and media exposure.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Volunteer Studies
- Sociology
Background:
- Understanding volunteer motivations is crucial for recruitment and retention.
- The Volunteer Function Inventory (VFI) is a widely used tool to measure volunteer motivations.
- Specific motivations for volunteering with refugees require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the motivations of volunteers assisting refugees.
- To compare these motivations with general volunteer motivations measured by the VFI.
- To identify potential extensions to existing motivation theories.
Main Methods:
- Conducted eight focus groups with 44 volunteers for refugees.
- Interviewed five coordinators of refugee volunteer organizations.
- Utilized qualitative data analysis to identify key themes.
Main Results:
- Humanitarian concerns and social justice emerged as primary motivators.
- Skill acquisition and development were also significant drivers.
- Extended motivations included seeking a meaningful life role, pragmatism, emotional reasons, and media influence.
Conclusions:
- Volunteer motivations for refugees align with, yet expand upon, general volunteer functions.
- The social justice motivation should be considered for inclusion in the VFI.
- Further research should explore the identified extended motivations in greater depth.
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