On good deeds and the reproduction of social inequality

As recent studies show, the proportion of volunteers in Germany has increased significantly in the last two decades. However, it is unclear to what extent this increase follows a general trend that includes all social subgroups. It is possible that this development is due to the partial activation of selected groups. This article explores this question by examining the occupational class-specific differences in voluntary work between 1991 and 2017. The analyses are based on data from the Socio-Economic Panel, which are representative of Germany. The empirical findings point to clear differences between the different occupational classes. The increase in recent decades is therefore due in particular to the increased commitment of highly-skilled, white-collar professionals, whereas the commitment of workers and service staff has changed significantly less over the years. Overall, this opens up a gap between these two large groups. The strength of this divergence is remarkable against the background of the social functions of volunteering. It is an expression of an increasing dominance of a privileged upper middle class, which can increase social capital through voluntary activities and bring class-specific interests into the political process. In rural areas, this influence is even more evident.