2. The social arena
The second approach concerns how volunteer work is determined by the social arenas in which the individual lives and moves.
The recruitment is mainly done through close social networks – family, colleagues,
neighbors, friends in the club, etc. People volunteer when they are encouraged to do so, while ads and campaigns do not make people volunteer.
However, the same studies also show that social background - in particular education
level - affects both the scope and nature of the voluntary work that people perform.
We also know that the more active a person is – at work and in his spare time – the more likely he is to take on volunteer work. A study from Denmark show, that people who work 50 hours a week take on more volunteer work than people who only work 30 hours a week, who in turn take on much more volunteer work than those who do not have a job at all.
It can thus be claimed that those who volunteer are not more motivated in advance.
People volunteer in a certain context. In this way, volunteer work can be compared to love.
It is not something you are more or less motivated for – it is something that happens to you in a specific situation and context where it is meaningful to you.