Formal and Informal Volunteering in a Nordic Context: The Case of Denmark

Abstract

This article compares three different forms of volunteering: formal volunteering which is typically carried out in formalized organizations; informal practical help which is most often provided in a face-to-face context and requires the giving of time; and economic assistance which requires neither the co-presence of actors nor the giving of time. The different nature and structuring of these formal and informal ways of contributing to society suggest that they require different resources. Grounded in sociological theory we argue that three sets of factors are particularly relevant for explaining volunteering: personal or ‘human capital’ factors, social network resources, and civic values. We test in a multivariate analysis how various indicators of these personal and social resources relate to the different forms of volunteering. The study relies on a comprehensive survey of the Danish adult population. The findings, therefore, are interpreted in the light of this particular institutional environment which forms the backdrop for individual choices about volunteering. We find that the different forms of formal and informal volunteering seem to form a continuum of civic engagement going from the most public to the most private. Furthermore, compared to informal ways of volunteering, formal volunteering seems to be more contingent upon access to and supply of different forms of personal and social resources.

Keywords:

• Formal volunteering
• informal volunteering
• volunteer work
• civic engagement
• voluntary sector
• personal resources
• social network resources
• civic values

Acknowledgements

We thank Kirsten Gr⊘nbjerg, Indiana University, Klaus Hüls Levinsen, University of Southern Denmark, and Morten Ejrnæs, Aalborg University, for valuable comments on earlier drafts of this article. We also thank two anonymous reviewers for very useful comments and suggestions.

Notes

According to Goul Andersen and Johansen (2006, p. 9) at least 80% of all employed women in Denmark in 2004 worked full time, defined narrowly as 37 working hours or more a week.