Wolontariat jako narzędzie budowy kapitału społecznego w świetle badań nad wolontariatem akcyjnym w trzech polskich miastach
Volunteering as a tool of social capital building: action volunteering in three Polish cities

Summary/Abstract: Social capital is considered as a precondition for both vital civil society and economic development. For a developing country, such as Poland, revitalising social capital appears to be a significant element of the modernisation. In the paper, the role of volunteerism is discussed for the development of social capital. Particularly, volunteers work at the big events is analysed. Data collected in three Polish cities: Gdańsk, Poznań and Wrocław show that the big events volunteering has an impact on social capital reconstruction. Recruitment process and the work at the very events help to establish social networks based on both strong and weak ties. The internal recruitment systems are developed. Databases with potential volunteers are sustained by organisers, serving them to recruit. At the same time volunteers use their networks to inform acquaintances about events. Thus, networks based on weak ties are established, within which valuable information on volunteering possibilities are exchanged. In accordance with the Granovetterian concept of weak ties, the networks created at volunteering, serve as a source of benefits useful in the labour market. Additionally, action volunteering systems have trust building effect based on repetitive contacts.

• Details
• Contents