‘The ability to change stuff up': Volunteering as a young person within established organisations

Abstract

There has been growing acknowledgement of the significant contribution that young people can make to established 'adult' organisations and institutions, alongside efforts to encourage their participation in these spaces. In this context, there is a need to examine how young people experience participation as volunteers within established organisations. Drawing on 25 indepth interviews with volunteers in the Canterbury region of Aotearoa New Zealand, our findings demonstrate that volunteering in established organisations can be a conflicted participatory space for young people. We identify three aspects young people negotiate in their participation: ‘what they seek’ through their engagement, particularly empowerment by way of social connection and political voice; ‘what they give’ to established organisations, especially time, energy and financial resource, with risks of burnout; and ‘what they fight’ within organisations, including discrimination, marginalisation and tokenism. Our analysis suggests established organisations should be responsive to the aspirations young people strive to enact through their participation.