Service or Solidarity? Trajectories of Concern in a Non-Political Organization

• In Event: Joint Roundtables: Social Psychology Section and Sociology of Emotions Section
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 2 - Organizations & Work

Abstract

Volunteer organizations that provide care are often criticized for providing opportunities for volunteers to feel good about themselves rather than addressing the broader conditions that underlie the need. This criticism has particularly been leveled at organizations that rely on "nice white ladies" who volunteer to help people of color. Yet as Jane Addams emphasized, providing care can lead to changed understandings and political commitments among volunteers.

Unfortunately, we know little about how organizational practices might align with different trajectories of concern for volunteers. In what cases do organizations attract those who prioritize their own satisfaction and reinforce domination through practice? Alternately, when do practices of care and interpersonal relationships serve to promote oppositional consciousness?

This paper focuses on a non-political organization I call Western Immigrant Advocates. Volunteers at WIA were predominantly white non-immigrants who provided two types of care for immigrants in ICE detention. "Long-term visitors" provided social support immigrants still in detention for months at a time. ICE usually deported those immigrants, increasing their hardship, and leaving the visitors feeling disheartened and powerless. "Short-term welcomers" helped recently released immigrants outside the detention center, and felt satisfaction for effectively completing small tasks. Organizational instability and external challenges revealed distinct trajectories for these two groups of volunteers.

Long-term visitors embraced a politicized oppositional consciousness that relied on an emotionally motivating understanding of system harms provided by people in detention. A book group provided both a venue for this homogenous group of educated white women to tie the harms they were seeing to larger systems of oppression, and served as a supportive community. Those volunteers left WIA. In contrast, the more diverse welcoming group focused on their own satisfaction. Still, in the face of challenges from within and outside the organization, they proved committed to performing their tasks in a non-politicized context.

Author

• Mark Igra, University of Washington