Some Everyday Experiences of Voluntarism: Social Capital, Pleasure, and the Contingency of Participation

In this article we report on some initial findings of an ESRC-funded qualitative study of 120 individuals across the United Kingdom involved in voluntary activity for 20 hours a week or more. We suggest for these individuals voluntary activity should be understood as pleasurable everyday activity within a community. This being the case, voluntary activists may find it hard to explain their individual sense of enjoyment to others to get them involved as well. This failure can prove frustrating for some and can cause a decline in the pleasure they gain from voluntary activity. The article explores some of the implications of these findings for policies seeking to develop social capital.