Exploring Diversity and Inequality in Older People's Volunteering in Cultural Heritage
Older volunteers play a crucial role in cultural heritage organizations, but issues of diversity and inequality persist. The relationship between volunteer-involving organizations and older volunteers raises questions about reciprocity and moral obligations. Barriers to involvement, including the cost-of-living crisis, impact volunteering diversity. Understanding the cessation of volunteering and its impact on well-being is essential for managing transitions effectively.
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Older peoples volunteering (in cultural heritage) issues of diversity and inequality Bruce Davenport Media, Culture, Heritage School of Arts & Cultures
Volunteering - generally Volunteering is one form of civic participation. Volunteering is an individual s activity undertaken by choice, without concern for financial gain and intended to make a difference outside one s own family. In the England, approx. 27million adults participated in formal or informal volunteering once in 12months in 2021/22 (Community Life Survey, 2023) In the UK, participation rates are highest among those aged 65 & over. (NCVO, 2019) but drops off for people over 75. Volunteering since lockdown a curious mix of stability and change.
Older volunteers & heritage Volunteers play an important role in many (majority?) of museums (MDE, 2023) Many organisations could not deliver their offer without volunteers Huge diversity in the balance of staff & volunteers Diversity in volunteer management structures Older people important group for heritage volunteering.
Cessation of Volunteering Volunteering People find they have to stop volunteering even if they don t want to. wellbeing What is the impact of leaving a voluntary role on wellbeing? Available evidence suggests negative impact. What is the impact of managing that process on volunteer managers? Negative/difficult Can the impact of leaving be managed in such a way as to moderate the impact for both volunteers and volunteer managers?
Issues raised through the project What is the relationship between the volunteer-involving organisation and their (older) volunteers? Reciprocity is (differently) important to both volunteers and staff but where do the limits of reciprocity lie? Does the moral obligation implicit in the idea of reciprocity extend beyond the duration of someone s involvement? What are the implications of this for fixed-term engagements (e.g., cultural projects or social prescribing)?
Volunteering diversity and inequality There is considerable diversity in who volunteers, who they volunteer with, what they do & why. Diversity of choice and barriers to involvement People need to have resources to be involved. Some barriers have become more salient in recent years - consequence of the cost-of-living crisis. From Principi, Lamura & Jensen (2014)
