Solidarity Practices: Contrasting Cases Concerning the Voluntary Work
with Refugees
by Eva Fleischmann
The focus of this contribution deals with various forms of social engagement and the question, how to examine, if practices of social engagement are solidary or charity and if this separation is meaningful. This will be presented by an exemplary case study of two solidarity practices of voluntary workers in Munich, which are part of the “Welcome Culture” for refugees.
Voluntary work with refugees has myriad faces: especially during the “summer of migration” in 2015 voluntary work became increasingly important and manifested itself in various forms and organizations, where people of different milieu-specific origin participated.
Consequently, different practices of support, help, empowerment or solidarity emerged in completely different organizational structures (activist, entrepreneurial, traditional). I argue, that the classification of practices as solidary or charity can be described by an analytical framework. This classification is complex as different reasons that cause citizens to participate in voluntary work and also different ways of exercising this practices, must be assessed. The analytical framework to allocate voluntary work in charity and solidarity work that I propose addresses the complex connection between egoism and altruism and the difference between social supply and political impact.
At the conference, I will present empirical results of a case study, which deals with the description of voluntary work of two different non-profit organizations in Munich. To get a solid impression of the practices of the subjects, I use an approach of qualitative research. The research design follows a combined approach of interviewing voluntary workers as well as the organizational overhead. The approach allows insight into their daily voluntary work, their motivation and their individual as well as organizational perception on their work. The interview results will be reflected on a scientific discussion about solidarity.
The examined groups represent extreme types in the broad range of voluntary work for refugees. I will present the empirical material of one volunteer from a startup, which helps to prepare the hearing to get asylum and of one volunteer from a circle of helpers which is tutoring lessons and is sharing her apartment with two refugees. Their voluntary work is differently structured: the work at the start-up is clearly scheduled and professionalized as a service whereas the work at the circle of helpers is nearly a full-time-job with a deep and emotional social relation to the refugees.
Based on the empirical data, the two different types of voluntary work will be presented and specific features of both forms of voluntary work further elaborated. Subsequently, I will discuss the analytical framework that I am working on during my research and reflect on the various dimensions that are necessary to think about, while dealing with the concept of solidarity.
Voluntary work with refugees has myriad faces: especially during the “summer of migration” in 2015 voluntary work became increasingly important and manifested itself in various forms and organizations, where people of different milieu-specific origin participated.
Consequently, different practices of support, help, empowerment or solidarity emerged in completely different organizational structures (activist, entrepreneurial, traditional). I argue, that the classification of practices as solidary or charity can be described by an analytical framework. This classification is complex as different reasons that cause citizens to participate in voluntary work and also different ways of exercising this practices, must be assessed. The analytical framework to allocate voluntary work in charity and solidarity work that I propose addresses the complex connection between egoism and altruism and the difference between social supply and political impact.
At the conference, I will present empirical results of a case study, which deals with the description of voluntary work of two different non-profit organizations in Munich. To get a solid impression of the practices of the subjects, I use an approach of qualitative research. The research design follows a combined approach of interviewing voluntary workers as well as the organizational overhead. The approach allows insight into their daily voluntary work, their motivation and their individual as well as organizational perception on their work. The interview results will be reflected on a scientific discussion about solidarity.
The examined groups represent extreme types in the broad range of voluntary work for refugees. I will present the empirical material of one volunteer from a startup, which helps to prepare the hearing to get asylum and of one volunteer from a circle of helpers which is tutoring lessons and is sharing her apartment with two refugees. Their voluntary work is differently structured: the work at the start-up is clearly scheduled and professionalized as a service whereas the work at the circle of helpers is nearly a full-time-job with a deep and emotional social relation to the refugees.
Based on the empirical data, the two different types of voluntary work will be presented and specific features of both forms of voluntary work further elaborated. Subsequently, I will discuss the analytical framework that I am working on during my research and reflect on the various dimensions that are necessary to think about, while dealing with the concept of solidarity.
