Exploring Volunteers’ Motives Before and during the COVID‑19 Pandemic

Abstract

The volunteer movement has always been one of the most reliable tools, both for ongoing assistance to those in need and in emergency situations. The purpose of this study is to investigate the motives for volunteering in Russia before and during the COVID‑19 pandemic. This research uses postmodern theories to examine the motives of community volunteers. The motives were gauged based on the retrospective reflections and justifications provided by the volunteers. The research question is: How do the volunteers describe, perceive, and justify the motives for (non)participation in formal and informal volunteering before and during the COVID‑19 pandemic? In this qualitative study, narrative interviews were conducted with Russian volunteers (25 in 2019 and 30 in 2021). The transcribed interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. We revealed the authentic voices of volunteers and gained a deeper understanding of the wide range of volunteer motivations, not only altruistic but also pragmatic, that were able to withstand the short-term impact of the pandemic. This study showed that “pandemic” volunteering can be ad hoc and integrated into people’s everyday lives. The study revealed some new nuances in the motives for (non)participation that are more relevant to the pandemic and can be identified as context-­specific functions of volunteering. The study also provides an example of a methodological approach useful for examining the motives of volunteers, particularly in, but not limited to, the context of a pandemic or a crisis.