TY  - RPRT
        AU  - Veldboer, Lex
AU  - Kleinhans, Reinout
AU  - Ham, Maarten van
        TI  - Mandatory Volunteer Work as Fair Reciprocity for Unemployment and Social Benefits?
        PY  - 2015/Jun/
        PB  - Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)
        CY  - Bonn
        T2  - IZA Discussion Paper
        IS  - 9111
        UR  - https://www.iza.org/index.php/publications/dp9111
        AB  - Modern welfare policies are increasingly based on notions of reciprocity. Citizens on welfare benefits have to do something in return, e.g. volunteer work. Notwithstanding general public support, social philosophers have been critical on 'mandatory' activities in community programmes. So far, the participants themselves have scarcely been asked about the (un)fairness of 'mandatory volunteering'. This small exploratory study aims to reveal the perceptions of female participants in mandatory volunteering programmes and to formulate directions for further research.
We analyse how in Rotterdam the transition from labour market re-integration policies to a mandatory reciprocity approach is viewed by long-term unemployed women who were already volunteering. Surprisingly, they claim that the new approach better recognises their contribution to 'society'. They also view the policy as necessary and fair to other benefit claimants who are perceived to lack any motivation to give something back to society. An agenda for further research is presented.
        KW  - social justice
KW  - welfare policies
KW  - gender
KW  - unemployment
KW  - reciprocity
KW  - volunteering
KW  - social benefits
KW  - austerity
KW  - Rotterdam
        ER  -