For context:

I’m Canadian (south Ontario). For all of the pitfalls I see in our society, one of the big things we emphasize to our children (which to some extent carries into adulthood) is the importance of volunteer work. It’s also very directly rewarded in regards to academic advancement, as opposed to grades. Even now, about a decade out of high school and in a different place, I still look to volunteer and do advocacy. Note that I’m also extrapolating somewhat anecdotally here; I’m sure there are people who don’t have this mentality in Canada.

I was talking with an acquaintance. He’s from India (New Delhi area IIRC). He mentioned how this stuff is very much de-emphasized in his culture. They did have volunteer requirements but you could just donate to get out of it, or get 2 hours signed off as 80 hours. The main priority in regards to (public) university was entrance exams. It’s interesting to see an academic outlook so so heavily prioritized instead.

I didn’t ask him at all about ramifications culturally but it did get me thinking about the ramifications of volunteering in my culture, and how I’m happy it’s there. That’s what got me thinking about this question.

  • GreyShuck@feddit.uk
    3·
    11 days ago

    In terms of geographic culture, I am British, or English or East Anglian, depending on who I am speaking to.

    I don’t think that volunteering is necessarily considered to be a particular civic duty or anything in the UK, but it clearly is more common here than in some parts of the world.

    I did not engage in any volunteering during my educational career - which was a long time ago now - but have a lot since: mostly in wildlife and conservation related roles, but a selection of others too. In fact I changed career and got my first paid position in conservation largely on the back of the volunteering that I had already done.

    I then went on to lead volunteer teams for much of that career - which is where I came to realise that volunteering really wasn’t something that many incomers from non-European backgrounds were as familiar with or expected to engage with. Obviously socio-economic background is going to play a part here too, not just geography: in the UK, at least, folk with middle (and upper) class backgrounds are over-represented among volunteers, with working class backgrounds being less well represented, often for very clear financial reasons.