The Unlikely Altruist: Practices of Exclusion in Volunteer-Based Social Work

Despite the benevolent image of the voluntary sector, social inequalities in volunteerism persist. In this research article, I present empirical findings from observations of and interviews with volunteers and staff in a Danish non-profit organization that strives for “inclusive volunteering.” Even here, I find that organizational gatekeepers in the form of paid volunteer supervisors and core volunteers make use of three different exclusionary practices which create barriers for participation for younger and working-class volunteers: non-recruitment, informal exclusion, and formal exclusion. These exclusionary practices are seemingly utilized in the attempt to translate abstract notions of “the ideal volunteer” based on aspirant volunteers’ social status.