The Value of Voluntary Participation

This post is in response to "amd5m"'s post titled Civic Engagement: Is UVA fooling us?...are we fooling ourselves?"

I certainly believe that a re-evaluation of the worth and necessity of volunteer work needs to take place. Evaluations of the quantity of volunteer work are not limited to just colleges; the military services use volunteer work and civic participation as criterion for promotions and lateral job movement as well. When civic participation is forced, I fear that it may often result in sub-par participation and performance. While personnel numbers may be important in garnering support for a specific lobby or interest, especially the larger ones, for small organizations the quantity is not as important as quality of participation.

However, I am not arguing against occasional civic participation, even if such participation does not translate into political activity. There is something to be said for the character-building nature of civic participation and volunteerism. Having a broader understanding of how these small associations work stands to offer valuable organizational skills at a level where resources such as materiel and personnel may be limited. I once again offer my question: why should we care if civic participation translates into political participation? I stand by my originial assertion that we should NOT care if it leads to broader political activity. But there are immense benefits for those wishing to involve themselves. In the long run, I believe that civic participation can help any participant whether they were volunteered or "volun-told".