Civic Service in Eastern Europe and Central Asia: From Mandatory Public Work Toward Civic Service

This article tries to take an initial step toward developing a systematic body of knowledge on civic service in the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It seeks to identify those elements of the cultural and historical background and the present social, political, and economic challenges that have a significant effect on the development of service programs. Based on the available anecdotal and research information, the article gives an overview of civic services, their goals, actual forms, predominant types, and institutional background. Motivations, sociodemographic characteristics, and social embeddedness of the participants of service programs are also discussed. The final part of the article offers a list of possible research approaches and projects that would be necessary to understand all aspects of this complex and heterogeneous set of interactions.