What Is Voluntary Action For?

Abstract

This chapter addresses questions that are rarely asked, let alone answered explicitly — what is the role or function of voluntary action in our society and why does it matter? It suggests that the implicit answers on which much of today’s voluntary action is based are inadequate and misleading, and offers other explanations that provide a better basis for understanding and promoting it. The chapter pursues the argument on three levels. In the first place, it looks at the purposes or functions of voluntary organisations and argues that they are not purely instrumental — they do not exist simply to deliver certain services or activities — but are also expressive; they provide opportunities for behaviour that is intrinsically valuable. It takes the view that voluntary organisations should be seen as driven not by a set of goals but by the values on which they are founded. In the second place, it focuses on the individual volunteers and suggests that the value of their contribution needs to be assessed not simply on the basis of the amount and value of the unpaid labour it represents but also in terms of the wider social value it creates. And, third, it considers the role and significance of voluntary action in the aggregate by drawing on some of the discourse about ‘civil society’ to discuss its role as a vital intermediary between state and citizen and as a creator of social capital.