The Institutional Bind: Challenging the Meanings of Volunteerism for Social Change

• In Event: ICA Plenary Interactive Paper/Poster Session II
  In Interactive Paper Session: Organizational Communication Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

In the United States, volunteerism is a major source of civic engagement and a tool for achieving social change. Despite its social significance, volunteer labor is often marked by difficulties and challenges. This study examines the challenging sides of volunteerism for social change in its analysis of the ways in which institutional forces pose difficulties to meaningful volunteerism. Drawing on institutional theory, this essay reports results from several types of data: semi-structured interviews with the volunteers of a U.S. food pantry, observations from the visit of a local food bank, and observations from a meeting of local food assistance organizations. Data analysis revealed that: (a) institutionalized mentalities challenge meaningful volunteerism through mainstream cultural discourses, (b) institutions contest volunteerism by creating complex dependencies for the volunteer organization, and (c) institutional endurance limits creative solutions to the problems of the volunteer organization. The results reveal that institutions contest volunteer meanings by complicating volunteer-related communication processes. Results have implications for communication approaches to addressing the institutional challenges of meaningful volunteerism.

Author

• Liliya Yakova, Purdue University