Freiwilligenarbeit als Ressource

This article examines the interplay between the structural framework of voluntary engagement and the subjective interpretive patterns and practical resources of those involved. Specifically, the aim is to explore the enabling conditions for the externalisation of social and cultural services into the sphere of voluntary work. First, the authors present empirical examples of the utilisation of volunteering in social services, infrastructure and education in order to analyse the perspectives of the volunteers involved in this practice as well as their patterns of action. It becomes clear that many volunteers – even those who problematise the political use of volunteer work – do not personally feel instrumentalised. Overall, the study reveals a tension between subjective experiences in everyday volunteering and the labour market and socio-political implications of volunteering at the societal level ; a tension that – according to the thesis – contributes significantly to the degree to which volunteering can be instrumentalised as a resource.