Are prosocial commitments changing? Episodic volunteering experiences at the Mantova Literature Festival

Journal title PSICOLOGIA DI COMUNITA’
Author/s Anna Maria Meneghini, Diego Romaioli, Paola Rossi, Daniele Bottura
Publishing Year 2017 Issue 2016/2
Language Italian Pages 14 P. 32-45 File size 242 KB
DOI 10.3280/PSC2016-002004
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Episodic Volunteering (EV) is an emerging form of volunteering that has recently increased in Italy, especially among young people. Little is still known about its potential consequences for volunteers, nonprofit organizations and the community. This study involved 538 volunteers who offered their services in the various events of the Festivaletteratura (Literature festival) in Mantova. We investigated the motivations of the participants in the festival to understand why they engage in EV. Moreover, the perceived advantages and disadvantages of EV, as compared to those of traditional forms of volunteering, were analyzed. The results stimulated some considerations on EV. These considerations, together with the perspectives of people who are involved in institutions related to voluntary organizations, are reported in the discussion.

Keywords: Episodic volunteering, motivations, representations, quali-quantitative methodology

Jel codes: I12, M14

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Anna Maria Meneghini, Diego Romaioli, Paola Rossi, Daniele Bottura, La forma dell’impegno prosociale sta cambiando? L’esperienza del volontariato episodico al Festivaletteratura di Mantova in "PSICOLOGIA DI COMUNITA’" 2/2016, pp 32-45, DOI: 10.3280/PSC2016-002004