Voluntarism
What it means
Reliance on free choice and voluntary community action.
Reach for it when describing reliance on free choice and voluntary community action
Local voluntarism kept the winter shelter staffed each night.
Words to choose between 5
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal |
|
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playful
grassroots action
Fits when change begins with ordinary people locally
Careful Grassroots action may be political and not voluntary service.
-
everyday
community self-help
Fits when local people solve practical problems together
Careful Self-help can obscure structural duties and funding.
-
warm
Fits when people meet shared needs reciprocally
Careful Mutual aid rejects donor-recipient hierarchy more explicitly.
-
professional
civic initiative
Fits when residents organize action without waiting for officials
Careful Civic initiative can involve paid public work.
-
professional
voluntary action
Fits when unpaid freely chosen activity is the direct subject
Careful The phrase names behavior rather than a social principle.
Opposites 3
- compulsion
- state mandate
- coercion
Common phrases 3
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tradition of voluntarism
A tradition of voluntarism keeps the village hall active.
-
local voluntarism
Local voluntarism supplied meals while public funding was restored.
-
limits of voluntarism
The report names the limits of voluntarism in providing essential care.
Usage notes
Keep in mind
Voluntarism can strengthen community power but should not be used to replace reliable public provision or paid labor.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Pvanp7, British accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC0 Updated