Ambiguous, Affective, and Arduous: Volunteers’ Invisible Work With Young Adults

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2022.1198

Keywords:

volunteer work, young adults, invisible work, needs for support, Finland

Abstract

Mentoring has been regarded as a promising way to reach at-risk youth and to strengthen the protective factors. This article focuses on emotions, reflections, and challenges that adult volunteers face in trying to establish and maintain a friend relationship with young adults in a multicomponent mentor setting in Finland. Based on our participatory observations in volunteering, a focus group discussion with volunteers and facilitators of volunteering, and interviews with young adults we analyze the nature of volunteers’ actions as invisible work as characterized by Devault (1999). We argue that invisible work should be recognized as a significant part of volunteering in a multi-component mentoring setting. The main findings in this particular case are the following: (a) There are limitations in short-term and project-based work in establishing meaningful relationships between young people and the volunteers/staff. (b) The volunteers are not always equipped to address the material and mental health support needs of the young people. (c) The organizational focus aiming to improve the volunteers’ experience does not solve all the problems related to volunteers’ interaction with young adults, such as fragmented and short-term youth services created by neoliberal policies that the young adults struggle with. 

Author Biographies

Jenni Mölkänen, University of Helsinki

Jenni Mölkänen is post-doctoral researcher in the University of Eastern Finland. She is trained as an anthropologist and has conducted research of large-scale environmental conservation efforts, natural resource use, and local perceptions in northeastern Madagascar. She has worked in a multidisciplinary youth project, ALL-YOUTH focusing on young people’s transitions to adulthood and wellbeing in the Sustainability Institute (HELSUS) of the University of Helsinki. 

Päivi Honkatukia, Tampere University

Päivi Honkatukia is a professor of Youth Research at Tampere University in Finland. She is educated as sociologist and has conducted research in the fields of socio-legal studies, youth research and gender studies. Currently she leads research projects focusing on youth participation and inclusion in society, young people’s transitions to adulthood and young people’s negotiations around sexual consent. 

References

Anttonen, A., & Karsio, O. (2017). Marketization from within: Changing governance of care services. In F. Martinelli, A. Anttonen, & M. Mätzke (Eds.), Social services disrupted changes, challenges and policy implications for Europe in times of austerity (pp. 219–238). Edward Elgar.

Britannica. (n.d.). Friendship. In Britannica.com dictionary. Retrieved December 12, 2020 from https://www.britannica.com/topic/friendship

Bryant, C. (2006). Planning and moderating focus group research. In M. V. Angrosino (Ed.), Doing cultural anthropology: Projects for ethnographic data collection (pp. 115–127). Waveland Press.

Cammaerts, B., Bruter, M., Banaji, S., Harrison, S., & Anstead, N. (2016). Youth participation in democratic life: Stories of hope and disillusion. Palgrave Macmillan.

Carsten, J, (1995). The substance of kinship and the heat of the hearth: Feeding, personhood, and relatedness among Malays in Pulau Langkawi. American Ethnologist, 22(2), 223–241.

Daniels, A. K. (1987). Invisible work. Social Problems, 34(5), 403–415.

Davies, B. (2019). Austerity, youth policy and the deconstruction of the youth service in England. Palgrave Macmillan.

Devault, M. L. (1999). Comfort and struggle: Emotion work in family life. The ANNALS of the American Academy of political and Social Science, 561(1), 52–63.

Duguid, F., Mündel, K., & Schugurensky, D. (2013). “Learning from each other”: Volunteers’ learning experiences in housing co-operatives. In F. Duguid, K. Mündel, & D. Schugurensky, (Eds.), Volunteer work, informal learning and social action. (pp. 115–140). Brill Sense.

Eliasoph, N. (2013). Making volunteers: Civic life after welfare's end. Vol. 50. Princeton University Press.

Garringer, M., McQuillin, S., & McDaniel, H. (2017). Examining youth mentoring services across America: Findings from the 2016 national mentoring program survey. MENTOR/The National Mentoring Partnership.

Grant, S., Maass, S., Vettern, R., Harrington, R., O’Neil, K., McGlaughlin, P., & Good, T. (2020). The impact of volunteering: A multi-state study of 4-H youth development volunteers. Journal of Youth Development, 15(4), 32–50.

Grossman, J. B., Chan, C. S., Schwartz, S. E., & Rhodes, J. E. (2012). The test of time in school‐based mentoring: The role of relationship duration and re‐matching on academic outcomes. American Journal of Community Psychology, 49 (1-2), 43-54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10464-011-9435-0

Grossman, J. B., & Rhodes, J. E. (2002). The test of time: Predictors and effects of duration in youth mentoring relationships. American Journal of Community Psychology, 30(2), 199–219. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014680827552

Haski-Leventhal, D., & Bargal, D. (2008). The volunteer stages and transitions model: Organizational socialization of volunteers. Human Relations, 61(1), 67–102. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F001872670708594

Haski-Leventhal, D., Hustinx, L., & Handy, F. (2011). What money cannot buy: The distinctive and multidimensional impact of volunteers. Journal of Community Practice, 19(2), 138–158.

Hensley, S. T., Kent, H. C., Broaddus, B. A., Ellison, S., Michael, S. T., & Spero, V. (2020). 4-H volunteer attainment of quality positive youth development practices. Journal of Youth Development, 15(4), 87–96.

Herrera, C., DuBois, D. L., & Grossman, J. B. (2013). The role of risk: Mentoring experiences and outcomes for youth with varying risk profiles. MDRC. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED544233

Higginbotham, B. J., Harris, V. W., & Lee, T. R. (2007). Youth and families with promise: A multi-component youth development program. Journal of Youth Development, 1(3).

Hochschild, A. R. (1979). Emotion work, feeling rules, and social structure. American Journal of Sociology, 85 (3), 551–575.

Homan, A. C., Gündemir, S., Buengeler, C., & van Kleef, G. A. (2020). Leading diversity: Towards a theory of functional leadership in diverse teams. Journal of Applied Psychology, 105(10), 1101.

Honkatukia, P., Kallio, J., Lähde, M., & Mölkänen, J. (2020). Omana itsenä osa yhteiskuntaa – Itsenäistyvät nuoret aikuiset kansalaisina [A part of society in one’s own right – Young adults becoming independent as citizens]. https://trepo.tuni.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/123861/978-952-03-1731-7.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y

Howell, S. (2018). Ethnography. The Cambridge encyclopedia of anthropology. https://www.anthroencyclopedia.com/entry/ethnography#:~:text=seemingly%20simple%20definition.-,Participant%2Dobservation,native's%20point%20of%20view%E2%80%9D'

Hyams, M. (2004). Hearing girls’ silences: Thoughts on the politics and practices of a feminist method of group discussion. Gender, Place & Culture, 11(1), 105–119.

Juurus, K. (1992). Pakilan turvatalo tarjoaa suojan nuorelle joka ei voi mennä yöksi kotiin. Lama on viime keväästä lähtien lisännyt perheiden ja nuorten ongelmia runsaasti. Helsingin Sanomat. 3 August, 1992. https://www.hs.fi/kaupunki/art-2000003163190.html

Keller, T. E. (2007). Program staff in youth mentoring programs: Qualifications, training, and retention. In J. Rhodes (Ed.), Research in action. MENTOR/The National Mentoring Partnership.

Keller, T. E., Drew, A. L., Clark-Shim, H., Spencer, R., & Herrera, C. (2020). It’s about time: Staff support contacts and mentor volunteer experiences. Journal of Youth Development, 15(4), 145–161.

Kiander, J. 2001. 1990-luvun talouskriisi. Suomen Akatemian tutkimusohjelma: Laman opetukset. Suomen 1990-luvun kriisin syyt ja seuraukset [The Economic Crisis of the 1990s. The Academy of Finland’s research program. Reasons, Events and Consequences]. Valtion taloudellinen tutkimuskeskus VATT.

Kok, C. M., Espinoza, D. M., Worker, S. M., Go, C., & Miller, J. C. (2020). Identification of priority skill areas for volunteer professional development. Journal of Youth Development, 15(4), 51–67.

Kupersmidt, J. B., Stump, K. N., Stetler, R.L., & Rhodes, J. E. (2017). Mentoring program practices as predictors of match longevity. Journal of Community Psychology, 45, 630–645.

https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.21883

Lähde, M. and J., Mölkänen 2021. The quest for independent living in Finland: Youth shelter as a critical moment in young adults’ life courses. In F. Stammler & R. Toivanen (Eds.), Quest for good life in the Arctic: Youth trajectories on well-being and place-making (pp. 170–195). Routledge, Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003110019

Lavee, E., & Kaplan, A. (2022). Invisible work at work and the reproduction of gendered social service organizations. Gender, Work & Organization, 29(5), 1463–1480. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12839

Macduff, N. (2005). Societal changes and the rise of the episodic volunteer. Emerging areas of volunteering, 1(2), 49–61.

Macduff, N., Netting F. E., & O’Connor, M. K. (2009). Multiple ways of coordinating volunteers with differing styles of service. Journal of Community Practice, 17, 400–423. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705420903300488

Malinen, S., & Harju, L. (2017). Volunteer engagement: Exploring the distinction between job and organizational engagement. Voluntas, 28, 69–89. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-016-9823-z

Marjovuo, A. (2014). Vapaaehtoistyön ytimessä. Järjestömuotoinen vapaaehtoistyö sosiaalisten representaatioiden näkökulmasta. Sosiaalitieteiden laitoksen julkaisuja. Unigrafia. Helsinki.

Moilanen, J. (2015). Tutkimus lastensuojelun tukihenkilötoiminnan muutoksista: Relationaalinen näkökulma [A study on changes to the practice of using support persons in child welfare – A relational point of view]. Jyväskylä Studies in Education, Psychology and Social Research, (533).

Nylund, M. (2000). Varieties of mutual support and voluntary action - A study of Finnish self-help groups and volunteers. Finnish Federation for Social Welfare and Health.

Plourde, K. F., Nanda, G., Healy, E., Kibwola, D., Mutonyi, P., Ochwo, M., Okello, F., & Cunningham, J. (2021). Implementation of Anyaka Makwiri: A multicomponent mentoring program for adolescent girls and young women in Uganda. Journal of Youth Development, 16(2–3), 278–286.

Red Cross (2021). Volunteering and intergenerational connections to promote active ageing. https://redcross.eu/latest-news/volunteering-and-intergenerational-connections-to-promote-active-ageing

Restler, S., & Glant, L. (2020). All hands on deck: Building a sustainable volunteer program. Journal of Youth Development, 15(4), 162–173.

Rochester, C. (1999). One size does not fit all: Four models of involving volunteers in voluntary organizations. Voluntary Action, 1(2), 47–59.

Rochester, C., Ellis Paine, A., & Howlett, S. (with Zimmeck, M.). (2010). Volunteering and Society in the 21st Century. Palgrave Macmillan.

Saari, J., & Pessi, A. B. (2011). Auttaminen kilpailukyky-yhteiskunnassa. In Hyvien ihmisten maa: Auttaminen kilpailukyky-yhteiskunnassa (pp. 15-41). [Land of good people: Helping hands in a competitive society]. Diakonia-ammattikorkeakoulu. https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/140424/A_31_ISBN_9789524931113.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Sipola, Merja (2019). Vapaaehtoistoimintaan osallistuminen suomalaisessa yhteiskunnassa [Master’s thesis, University of Helsinki]. http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:hulib-201907023129

Spencer, R., Gowdy, G., Drew, A. L., McCormack, M., & Keller, T. E. (2020). It takes a village to break up a match: A systemic analysis of endings in formal youth mentoring relationships. Child & Youth Care Forum, 49(1), 97–120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-019-09520-w

Stoller, P. (1989). The taste of ethnographic things: The senses in anthropology. University of Pennsylvania Press.

Stukas, A. A., Clary, E. G., & Snyder, M. (2014). Mentor recruitment and retention. In D. L. Dubois, & M. K. Karcher (Eds.), Handbook of youth mentoring, (2nd ed., pp. 397–410). Sage.

https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412996907.n27

Watt, L. (2017). “Her life rests on your shoulders”: Doing worry as emotion work in the care of children with diabetes. Global Qualitative Nursing Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/2333393617743638

Worker, S. M., Espinoza, D. M., Kok, C. M., Go, C., & Miller, J. C. (2020). Volunteer outcomes and impact: The contributions and consequences of volunteering in 4-H. Journal of Youth Development, 15(4), 6–31.

Yeung, A. B. 2004. The octagon model of volunteer motivation: Results of a phenomenological analysis. Voluntas. International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations 15, 21–47.

Downloads

Published

2022-12-15

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 4 (2022)

Section

Feature Articles

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. The Author retains copyright in the Work, where the term “Work” shall include all digital objects that may result in subsequent electronic publication or distribution.
  2. Upon acceptance of the Work, the author shall grant to the Publisher the right of first publication of the Work.
  3. The Author shall grant to the Publisher and its agents the nonexclusive perpetual right and license to publish, archive, and make accessible the Work in whole or in part in all forms of media now or hereafter known under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License or its equivalent, which, for the avoidance of doubt, allows others to copy, distribute, and transmit the Work under the following conditions:
    1. Attribution—other users must attribute the Work in the manner specified by the author as indicated on the journal Web site;
    with the understanding that the above condition can be waived with permission from the Author and that where the Work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license.
  4. The Author is able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the nonexclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the Work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), as long as there is provided in the document an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  5. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post online a prepublication manuscript (but not the Publisher’s final formatted PDF version of the Work) in institutional repositories or on their Websites prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work. Any such posting made before acceptance and publication of the Work shall be updated upon publication to include a reference to the Publisher-assigned DOI (Digital Object Identifier) and a link to the online abstract for the final published Work in the Journal.
  6. Upon Publisher’s request, the Author agrees to furnish promptly to Publisher, at the Author’s own expense, written evidence of the permissions, licenses, and consents for use of third-party material included within the Work, except as determined by Publisher to be covered by the principles of Fair Use.
  7. The Author represents and warrants that:
    1. the Work is the Author’s original work;
    2. the Author has not transferred, and will not transfer, exclusive rights in the Work to any third party;
    3. the Work is not pending review or under consideration by another publisher;
    4. the Work has not previously been published;
    5. the Work contains no misrepresentation or infringement of the Work or property of other authors or third parties; and
    6. the Work contains no libel, invasion of privacy, or other unlawful matter.
  8. The Author agrees to indemnify and hold Publisher harmless from Author’s breach of the representations and warranties contained in Paragraph 6 above, as well as any claim or proceeding relating to Publisher’s use and publication of any content contained in the Work, including third-party content.

Revised 7/16/2018. Revision Description: Removed outdated link.