21817 Volunteering: Social and Organisational Perspectives

Subject level: Postgraduate

Handbook description

The level of volunteering in a society is a sign of its well being, and third sector organisations are the main beneficiaries of volunteering. This subject provides students with a comprehensive introduction to the social phenomena of volunteering and the use of volunteers by third sector and public organisations. This is an elective subject and is taught only if sufficient interest is expressed.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be:

1. Aware of the different ways volunteering is defined and practised in Australia and internationally;
2. Familiar with data and data bases on volunteering in Australia;
3. Able to demonstrate an understanding of the history of volunteering and the principles that underline good practice in volunteering;
4. Familiar with the sources of volunteers and with theory and evidence, that seeks to explain motives for volunteering;
5. Able to define research questions to discover more about volunteering, and to test theories of volunteer motivation;
6. Able to participate knowledgably in debates about the meaning and value of volunteering in the third sector;
7. Able to identify where organisations can use volunteers and identify and overcome points of resistance to the use of volunteers;
8. Familiar with costs and benefits to organisations of using volunteers and be able to estimate these costs and benefits for a particular organisation.

Contribution to graduate profile

The level of volunteering in a society is a sign of its well being; third sector organisations are the main beneficiaries of volunteering. This subject is designed to provide students with a comprehensive introduction to the social phenomena of volunteering and the use of volunteers by third sector and public organisations. This is an elective subject and will be taught only if sufficient interest is expressed.

Teaching and learning strategies

A Learning Guide supported by a text and additional set of Supplementary Readings, a set of workshops and, in future, a web conferencing facility. There is a balance between the convenience of independent learning and the stimulation of academic life, whereby the self managed Learning Guide is part of a broader set of interactive learning experiences especially designed to suit students. In particular, attendance at the intensive workshops is a crucial and compulsory part of the total subject, and will help make sense of the material in the Learning Guide.

Content

• Definitions of volunteering.
• Dimensions of volunteering in Australia and its data sources.
• Valuing in volunteers economically.
• Controversies around volunteers.
• Historical development of volunteering in Australia and internationally.
• Principles of volunteering; volunteers in the labour market.
• Volunteering in different cultures.
• Theories of volunteer motivation.
• Volunteers in organisational settings.
• Costs and benefits of volunteers for organisations.

Assessment

Assessment item 1: Assessment Task One (Individual)

Assessment item 2: Assessment Task Two (Individual)