ERIC Number: EJ1459060
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2325-4009
EISSN: EISSN-2325-4017
Available Date: N/A
Ambiguous, Affective, and Arduous: Volunteers' Invisible Work with Young Adults
Jenni Mölkänen; Päivi Honkatukia
Journal of Youth Development, v17 n4 Article 5 p64-82 2022
Mentoring has been regarded as a promising way to reach at-risk youth and to strengthen the protective factors. This article focuses on emotions, reflections, and challenges that adult volunteers face in trying to establish and maintain a friend relationship with young adults in a multicomponent mentor setting in Finland. Based on our participatory observations in volunteering, a focus group discussion with volunteers and facilitators of volunteering, and interviews with young adults we analyze the nature of volunteers' actions as invisible work as characterized by Devault (1999). We argue that invisible work should be recognized as a significant part of volunteering in a multi-component mentoring setting. The main findings in this particular case are the following: (a) There are limitations in short-term and project-based work in establishing meaningful relationships between young people and the volunteers/staff. (b) The volunteers are not always equipped to address the material and mental health support needs of the young people. (c) The organizational focus aiming to improve the volunteers' experience does not solve all the problems related to volunteers' interaction with young adults, such as fragmented and short-term youth services created by neoliberal policies that the young adults struggle with.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Volunteers, Volunteer Training, Mentors, At Risk Persons, Youth, Youth Agencies, Young Adults, Adults, Interpersonal Relationship, Friendship, Ambiguity (Context), Affective Behavior, Affective Objectives, Difficulty Level, Reflection, Emotional Response, Program Length, Program Design, Mental Health, Multi Tiered Systems of Support
Clemson University Press. 116 Sigma Drive, Clemson, SC 29634. Tel: 864-656-2278; e-mail: cupress@clemson.edu; Web site: www.clemson.edu/press
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Finland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A