Volunteering, social cohesion and race: the German Technical Relief Service

Chadderton, C (2016) 'Volunteering, social cohesion and race: the German Technical Relief Service.' Voluntary Sector Review, 7 (3). pp. 233-249. ISSN 2040-8056

Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1332/204080516X14672980651609

Abstract

This paper contributes to the debate on whether volunteering influences social cohesion, and argues that issues of race equality should be considered in this discussion. Whilst the German government, like other European states, promotes volunteering as a way of improving social cohesion, discussions on social cohesion in Germany tend not to mention race explicitly, whilst studies on volunteering tend to neglect to explore race at all. When they do, race is simply considered a factor influencing engagement, rather than a structural issue. Employing the example of the German Technical Relief Service for civil defence, the paper explores race relations and representation in Germany, where discussions on race generally remain taboo, drawing on theories of structural racism and whiteness. The paper concludes that it cannot be unproblematically assumed that volunteering leads to social cohesion in an ethnically diverse society if racial inequalities are not addressed.

Item Type: Article
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Article available to read at URL below.

Keywords: homogenous state, race, social cohesion, volunteering
Divisions: School of Education
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1332/204080516X14672980651609
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Date Deposited: 03 May 2018 15:07
Last Modified: 15 Aug 2021 09:50
URI / Page ID: https://researchspace.bathspa.ac.uk/id/eprint/11010
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