The Futures of Volunteerism
Sohail
Inayatullah
To
understand the futures of volunteerism, we need to unpack current
perspectives and practices of volunteerism.
First
volunteerism makes sense in the context of a paid economy, that is,
wherein labour in monetized. It is its opposite. In a society where
there is no scarcity, the entire society would be about volunteerism.
That is, it exists in the context of certain things that have to
be done – the famous job. As the future of work is being transformed,
potentially creating a world where only 10% will work, the issue of what
will the rest do can be partly solved by volunteerism. The 90% who do
not work will either be well off because of technology or permanently
the underclass. In either case, the issue of intellectual and spiritual
development will be problematic since there will be no challenge.
Volunteerism provides a vehicle to express some of these potentials.
Historically,
volunteerism was central to society, it was part of community building,
take care of others, indeed, central to agricultural/feudal society.
It was especially strong in religious systems. In Islam, this was
focused on feeding the poor, neighbors and relatives. However, there was
no specific term called volunteerism. This is modern, it appears.
VOLUNTEERISM
IN INDUSTRIAL TIMES
Volunteerism
in industrial times is essentially about the following:
·
Partly
about charity (do good work for others). This is generally about
volunteerism and idealism. Volunteerism makes us a better person and it
builds the community. Those activities that the state or market cannot
pay for, volunteers can handle.
·
Partly
about filling in the spaces that the State cannot cover.
With globalization and the resultant pressure to reduce state
expenditures, volunteerism becomes on of the easiest ways out for the
State. No structural changes are needed. Privatization can continue
unabated.
·
Volunteerism,
while idealistic, is also about nation-building and nation-legitimacy.
Behind it is the notion that we should sacrifice to make a great nation.
Business is working hard, the State is working hard, now each and every
citizen should give of their labour to create a great nation. Images of
and stories of sacrifice are used to convince citizens. This is most
often done in times of war but as well as part of economic development
and disaster relief.
·
Volunteerism
is also partly about social movements. In this sense volunteerism is not
merely about charity or nation building but about transforming society.
With globalization expanding the economic sphere (creating us all into
consumers and economic rationalists) and the State sphere either
increasing this process (becoming more efficient, transparent, citizen
oriented, democratic but with far less funds), issues of solidarity,
partnership, justice, morality are lost. Environmental concerns, women's
concerns and those negatively impacted by globalization are dealt with
through volunteer labour. However, this volunteerism is not beholden to
state, rather it is about transforming state and economy, creating a
dynamic civil society. If we take a spatial view, it is about
challenging the expansion of the market (or at the very least, helping
those who fall through the cracks of globalization) and enhancing the
size of the people's culture. This means as well expansion relative to
the size of the state.
·
Volunteerism
is also partly about what to do with youth. Given that there are not
enough jobs for young people, what should they do. Volunteerism becomes
a state sponsored solution to crime, to minds with nothing to do, and to
the bio-psychological transition to young people go through as they
become adults.
POST-SCARCITY
FUTURES
However
as we move to a post-industrial, postmodern economy, volunteerism takes
on a different guise. Volunteerism becomes the answer to the question of
what to do in a leisure society wherein scarcity is no longer a problem.
This
has two phases. The first is the current stage where most work in most
industrial societies is no longer essential for housing, food, clothes,
education and health. It is featherbedding, engaged in to keep all
employed. We could easily reorganize society to eliminated 40-50 of
current jobs (much of government, the advertising industry, the endless
product churning out machines and structures).
The
second phase is essentially about the Long Boom, or incredible growth
through nano-technology, artificial intelligence and genetic
technologies. Endless wealth creation and for all practical purposes the
elimination of scarcity, first in all OECD nations, and second, through
out the world.
Given
that we define ourselves by how we work and how we consume, what then?
Volunteerism gives us a glimpse of a meaningful future – that is,
engaging in activities that benefit others. It also helps us escape
consumer culture.
SCENARIOS
The
future of volunteerism is generally dependent on the future of the world
system.
In
a globalized economy (where the key driver in the economy)
volunteerism will continue to expand as it will be necessary to
fill services that markets and the state are unwilling or incapable of
doing so. This is especially the case with an aging society.
In
a post-scarcity artificial economy (where the key driver is technology),
volunteerism will be directly related to meaning, to finding ways to
create social community with others, to learn about others, to do things
with others.
In
the current world, a bit globalized, a bit nation-state dominated, a bit
church dominated, volunteerism will continue to take many guises. These
include as part of nation-building (long live our state), as local
community development, a charity for the poor, as an alternative to
military service.
In
a world that collapses because of the crash of world capitalism or
climate change, volunteerism will be main activity, providing the glue
for communities under distress.
However,
for volunteerism to fulfil its idealistic dimension, it will need to
clear about its vision. For me, this has to be about service to others.
This means service to plants, animals, and human being through physical
activity, intellectual activity and spiritual activity.
Ultimately,
volunteerism is about creating a new type of world – one where
individuals are not commodified by markets or oppressed by states but
find ways to express the softer dimensions of culture.
VOLUNTEER
FUTURES
What
then specifically can we say about the futures of volunteerism. These
are the following scenarios.
1.
Volunteerism
as Expanding Civil Society – Volunteerism remains about developing
one's own human potential and about expanding the circle of civil
society. Volunteerism grows as society becomes officially less caring
and more finance driven. With less money for the public, only volunteers
can soothe the pains caused by globalization.
Volunteerism, however, becomes an agent for social change,
uniting with other social movements for a different social contract than
that offered by globalization. Volunteerism is essential in creating a
global moral society. Volunteerism moves from taking care of the
individual to social transformation.
2.
Volunteerism
as charity. Volunteerism remains tied to individual actions, as part of
either feeling good, or reducing guilty, or as stop-gap measures that
Big Capital and Big Government are unable to adequately respond to. Volunteerism becomes a major activity of elderly people. It
is how they pass their time and find meaning.
3.
Volunteerism
as Expanding the State. In this last scenario, volunteerism expands but
generally to celebrate the nation-state or the corporation or some other
abstract entity. Volunteers are used for social and political purposes.
They are organized and "governmentalized" to use a Foucauldian
phrase.
Which
futures emerge is dependent on a variety of forces. First, how grand
trends such as globalization play themselves out. Second, the impact of
aging on wealthy societies. Third, the capacity of social movements to
organize and create a new global contract between self, other, nature
and polity. Fourth, agency within volunteer movements themselves,
particularly their vision of the future. While technology, globalization
and changing demographics push the future, the preferred vision is the
pull of the future. Without this pull, volunteerism and volunteer
organizations will find their futures appropriate for nation and
capital, and not for the idealism that is essentially their reason for
being.