The new volunteers

The future of civic participation

In our multi-option society, traditional volunteer work is becoming increasingly unpopular. What effect does this have on the role of civil society? The study ‘The new volunteers’, commissioned by the Migros Culture Percentage, addresses this question and formulates a framework for the civic engagement of the future.

The study shows that those who volunteer in future will want:

• To get involved quickly in specific projects
• To no longer simply provide free labour, but contribute ideas and have their say
• To deal with and develop projects non-hierarchically

A prerequisite for any civic engagement is knowing where and how you can actually contribute. Digital platforms are playing an increasingly large role here as a method of connection and exchange. Web 2.0 is itself becoming a digital site of civic participation, for example through Wikipedia. The division between those helping and those being helped no longer applies to the new form of volunteering. The focus is now on tackling problems together rather than working through predetermined tasks – the new volunteers are participatory and potential-oriented.

English: http://doi.org/10.59986/XMYA6435

German: http://doi.org/10.59986/VMNZ7805
Deutsche Zusammenfassung

French: http://doi.org/10.59986/KLJA4481
Résumé français

Methods of study (in German)