Doing One's Duty? Voluntary Work and the ‘New Economy’

The journal Local Economy was launched in 1986 and since then volunteering and the third sector have featured in articles, features and new initiatives.Volunteering along with unpaid social reproduction and reciprocal exchange represents a hidden dimension of economic restructuring (Jarvis, 1999).The act of volunteering can affect a person's perceptions of well being, of self worth and of making a contribution to society.Unpaid work (formal and informal) which is undertaken by volunteers makes a vital contribution to family and community.The voluntary sector, which is a vehicle for formal volunteering, is praised for its pioneering work in community development and its key role in building social capital.The idea of social capital (which includes, although it is not limited to, voluntary work) has become enormously