Volunteers’ listening as a “non-free gift”: an ethnography of Active Listening volunteering in Japan

Abstract

This paper argues that the act of listening offered by active listening volunteers is a “gift” that requires reciprocity from elderly people. Active listening volunteers (keichō borantia) in Japan offer conversation and listening services for elderly people in local areas. Previous researchers investigate unsatisfying visits such as having boring conversations, and suggest the need for honing listening skills, or better pairing, and so on. This study, however, reveals that these solutions might not improve the situation, and, using participant observation and interviews, finds fundamental issues around reciprocity instead. First, and most importantly, volunteers do not realize that their listening functions as a “gift,” which brings power dynamics, forcing elders either to stay as helpees, or to reciprocate. This paper, therefore, argues that even an act of listening in the field of volunteering can be perceived as a “non-free gift” by elderly people. Second, overemphasizing the importance of active listening obstructs reciprocity, letting volunteers cling to the role of listeners and helpers. In conclusion, this study suggests that volunteers need to understand three aspects: the importance of reciprocity; the fundamental power imbalance in caring activities; and the variety of reasons for elderly people to meet volunteers.

Keywords:

• Active listening
• volunteering
• reciprocity
• power
• gift

Acknowledgements

I am thankful to Dr Brigitte Steger for giving me multiple pieces of advice on my research. I also appreciate Julian Sedgwick for his language and emotional support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This work is supported by Honjō International Scholarship Foundation; International Soroptimist Kunitachi JAPAN; Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation; Aoi Global Research; and Japan Foundation Endowment Committee.

Notes on contributors

Nanase Shirota

Dr Nanase Shirota is currently a Newton Trust/“Japan and the World” Post-doctoral Research Associate in Japanese studies at the University of Cambridge. She earned her PhD in the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Cambridge. She also received a bachelor’s degree from Keio University and her master’s degree from Keio University and the University of Glasgow. She focuses on communication, interaction, gender and labor, especially listening, listening behavior, Japanese hostesses, Japanese Active Listening volunteers, oral history and life stories, using anthropological methods.