Abstract
Recent immigrants seldom join the ranks of volunteers for various social causes. Immigrants from former socialist countries have been shown to be particularly averse to organized forms of volunteering for reasons rooted in their past, including forced forms of collectivism imposed by the state. In this qualitative study, we explored the perceptions and practices of volunteering among ex-Soviet immigrants (mostly educated middle-aged women) who ran a project for the benefit of elderly. Our findings show that most volunteers chose causes targeting fellow immigrants, their resettlement and well-being, and were motivated by the wish to build co-ethnic support network and overcome marginalization in the Israeli society. Other volunteers were driven by the need for self-actualization in the context of underemployment and occupational downgrading. Personal empowerment and higher identification with the receiving society were the most salient outcomes of volunteering for our informants. We conclude that for some immigrants, volunteering can serve as a strategy of social integration.
Résumé
Les immigrants récents rejoignent rarement les rangs des bénévoles pour plusieurs causes sociales. Les immigrants en provenance des anciens pays socialistes se sont révélés particulièrement opposés aux formes organisées de bénévolat pour des raisons liées à leur passé, et notamment le collectivisme forcé imposé par l’État. Dans cette étude qualitative, nous avons examiné les perceptions et les pratiques du bénévolat parmi les immigrants de l’ex-Union soviétique – majoritairement des femmes instruites d’âge moyen – qui menaient un projet destiné aux personnes âgées. Nos résultats montrent que la plupart des bénévoles avaient choisi des causes visant d’autres immigrants, leur réinstallation et le bien-être, et qu’ils étaient motivés par le désir de construire un réseau de soutien co-ethnique et de surmonter la marginalisation dans la société israélienne. D’autres volontaires étaient motivés par la nécessité de leur réalisation personnelle dans un contexte de sous-emploi et de déclassement professionnel. L’autonomisation personnelle et l’identification plus élevée avec la société d’accueil étaient les effets les plus saillants du bénévolat pour nos répondants. Nous en concluons que pour certains immigrants le bénévolat peut servir de stratégie d’intégration sociale.
Zusammenfassung
Neue Einwanderer schließen sich selten Gruppen von Ehrenamtlichen an, die sich für verschiedene soziale Zwecke engagieren. Einwanderer aus vormalig sozialistischen Ländern zeigen eine spezielle Abneigung gegen organisierte Formen ehrenamtlicher Arbeit, die auf Gründen in ihrer Vergangenheit beruht, beispielsweise vom Staat auferzwungene Kollektivismusformen. In dieser qualitativen Studie untersuchten wir, wie Einwanderer aus der ehemaligen Sowjetunion (größtenteils gebildete Frauen mittleren Alters), die ein Projekt zugunsten alter Menschen leiteten, ehrenamtliche Tätigkeiten wahrnehmen und praktizieren. Unseren Ergebnissen zufolge wählten die meisten Ehrenamtlichen Zwecke, die auf andere Einwanderer aus ihrem Land, deren Umsiedlung und Wohlbefinden ausgerichtet waren, und wurden von dem Wunsch geleitet, ein co-ethnisches unterstützendes Netzwerk aufzubauen und die Marginalisierung in der israelischen Gesellschaft zu überwinden. Andere Ehrenamtliche wurden im Zusammenhang mit der Arbeitslosigkeit und dem beruflichen Abstieg von einem Bedürfnis nach Selbstverwirklichung angetrieben. Persönliches Empowerment und eine stärkere Identifizierung mit den Leistungsempfängern waren die wichtigsten Resultate für die Befragten. Wir kommen zu dem Schluss, dass die ehrenamtliche Arbeit für einige Einwanderer als eine Strategie zur sozialen Integration dienen kann.
Resumen
Los inmigrantes recientes raras veces se incorporan a las filas de voluntarios en diversas causas sociales. Los inmigrantes de antiguos países socialistas han mostrado ser particularmente adversos a formas organizadas de voluntariado por motivos que tienen sus raíces en su pasado, incluidas las formas forzadas de colectivismo impuestas por el Estado. En el presente estudio cualitativo, exploramos las percepciones y prácticas de voluntariado entre inmigrantes exsoviéticos (principalmente, mujeres instruidas de mediana edad) que llevaban a cabo un proyecto en beneficio de personas mayores. Nuestros hallazgos muestran que la mayoría de los voluntarios escogieron causas dirigidas a compatriotas inmigrantes, su reasentamiento y bienestar, y estaban motivados por el deseo de construir una red de apoyo coétnica y superar la marginación en la sociedad israelí. A otros voluntarios les impulsaba la necesidad de autoactualización en el contexto del subempleo y la devaluación profesional. El empoderamiento personal y una mayor identificación con la sociedad receptora fueron los resultados más sobresalientes del voluntariado de nuestros informantes. Concluimos que para algunos inmigrantes, el voluntariado puede servir como una estrategia de integración social.
要約
因为多方面的社会原因,新移民很少参与志愿者的队伍。已经证实,由于植根于其过往经历的原因(包由国家强加的强制形式集体主义),来自前社会主义国家的移民尤其反感志愿者的组织形式。在本项定性研究中,我们探寻前苏联移民中(大多数是接受过教育的中年妇女)志愿活动的看法和行为,这些志愿者正在推进一个针对老年人福利的计划。我们的结果显示,大多数志愿者选择的原因是针对同乡移民、他们的重新定居以及福祉,而且建立同民族支持网络和避免被以色列社会边缘化的愿望也促使了他们参与志愿活动。在就业不足和职业降级的背景下,其他志愿者则受到自我实现需求的驱动。对于接受我们调查的人而言,个人赋权以及受到社会的更多认同是志愿活动最突出的成果。我们得出以下结论:某些移民志愿活动可充当社会融合的对策。
ملخص
إنضمام المهاجرين الجدد إلى صفوف المتطوعين نادر لأسباب إجتماعية مختلفة. قد ثبت أن المهاجرين من البلدان الإشتراكية السابقة أظهرت أنها نافرة خاصة للأشكال المنهجية للتطوع لأسباب راسخة في الماضي الخاص بها، بما في ذلك أشكال قسرية جماعية التي تفرضها الدولة. في هذه الدراسة النوعية، بحثنا تصورات وممارسات العمل التطوعي بين المهاجرين السابقين من الإتحاد السوفيتي (المتعلمين ومعظمهم من النساء في منتصف العمر) الذين يمكن أن يديروا المشروع لصالح كبار السن. تشير النتائج التي توصلنا إليها أن معظم المتطوعين إختار أسباب إستهداف زملائه المهاجرين، إعادة توطينهم والرفاهية ، وكانت بدافع من الرغبة في بناء شبكة دعم التعاون العرقي والتغلب على التهميش في المجتمع الإسرائيلي. تم دفع المتطوعين الآخرين من خلال الحاجة إلى تحقيق الذات في سياق جزئية البطالة وخفض مستوى مهني. كان التمكين الشخصي وتحديد عالي مع المجتمع المتلقي النتائج البارزة للتطوع للمخبرين لدينا. نستنتج أنه بالنسبة لبعض المهاجرين العمل التطوعي يمكن أن يكون بمثابة إستراتيجية للتكامل الإجتماعي.
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Khvorostianov, N., Remennick, L. ‘By Helping Others, We Helped Ourselves:’ Volunteering and Social Integration of Ex-Soviet Immigrants in Israel. Voluntas 28, 335–357 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-016-9745-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-016-9745-9