Volunteering and the Gift Economy in Southern Africa

• In Event: 114 - Section on Altruism, Morality and Social Solidarity Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 02. The Source and Mechanisms of Altruism and Morality

Abstract

In contemporary southern Africa, volunteering is an important feature of social life yet it remains under-studied. Drawing on 12 months of ethnographic and interview data from South Africa and Zambia (70 participants), this paper highlights how volunteering is subject to unwritten rules that parallel many of those in gift exchange cycles. The findings reveal that in southern Africa, volunteering represents personhood in society, it establishes social position and relations, and it facilitates the distribution of essential resources. This paper offers valuable insight into the processes of interpersonal exchange and the mechanisms that maintain social cohesion in southern Africa’s rapidly urbanizing cities.

Author

• Sara Compion, Kean University