“Doing Good Work”: Feminist Dilemmas of Volunteering in the Field

Abstract

In this article, I argue that there is a need to examine the feminist ethics of volunteering in the field, specifically as it relates to issues of positionality, power and reciprocity, and participatory methods. Reflecting on dilemmas I experienced as a volunteer with the Girl Scouts of San Diego while conducting research on their annual Girl Scout cookie sale, I debate the relationship between volunteerism and fieldwork more broadly and question the effectiveness of volunteerism within a feminist geographic methodological framework. In light of the dilemmas that arose in the field as a volunteer and researcher, I question whether we can consider volunteering as “good work.”

我于本文中主张, 必须检视田野中志愿工作的女权主义伦理, 而它尤其关乎位置性、权力和互惠及参与式方法等议题。透过反思我在圣地牙哥女童军进行志愿服务, 并从事有关女童军年度饼乾义卖时所经验的困境, 我对志愿精神和田野工作之间的关係, 进行更为广泛的辩论, 并质问女权主义地理学方法论的架构中, 有关志愿精神的有效性。有鉴于田野中作为志愿者和研究者的两难困境, 我质问志愿服务是否可被视为 “良好的工作” 。

En este artículo arguyo que es necesario examinar la ética feminista del voluntariado en el campo, específicamente en lo que esto se relacione con asuntos de posicionalidad, poder y reciprocidad, y con los métodos participativos. Reflexionando sobre los dilemas que experimenté como voluntario de las Girl Scouts [“niñas exploradoras”] de San Diego, mientras investigaba acerca del festival anual de la galletería de las Girl Scouts, discuto con más amplitud la relación entre el voluntariado y el trabajo de campo, y cuestiono la efectividad del voluntariado dentro de un marco metodológico geográfico feminista. A la luz de los dilemas que surgieron en el campo como voluntario y investigador, cuestiono la validez de considerar al voluntariado como un “buen trabajo.”

Key Words:

• feminist ethics
• feminist methods
• Girl Scouts
• insider–outsider
• positionality
• reciprocity
• research methodology
• volunteering

关键词:

• 女权主义伦理, 女权主义方法, 女童军, 内人—外人, 位置性, 互惠, 研究方法论, 志愿服务。

Palabras clave:

• ética feminista
• métodos feministas
• Girl Scouts
• nativo–foráneo
• posicionalidad
• reciprocidad
• metodología de la investigación
• voluntariado

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the scouts, leaders, and volunteers I worked with; to the Girl Scouts of San Diego; to the three anonymous reviewers for their thorough comments; and to the Focus Section guest editors, Emily Billo and Nancy Hiemstra, for their guidance and support of this article.

Note

Notes

1 GSUSA requires that there must be two adults present to ensure the emotional and physical safety of the scouts. For example, if one scout is hurt, one adult can attend to the needs of that child or go get help, while the other adult can supervise the other scouts (see Girl Scouts of San Diego 2015).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Denise Goerisch

DENISE GOERISCH is an Assistant Professor of Liberal Studies at Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, MI 49401. E-mail: [email protected]. Her research interests include the socioeconomic lives of children and young people, college affordability, ethnography, and feminist methodologies.