Shifting Resources, Shifting Forms. Spontaneous Solidarity, Virtual Voluntarism and the Legacy of Radne Akcije in Postsocialist Serbia

Abstract

AbstractVoluntarism is typically understood as action taken by individuals who voluntarily join collectives or take action to contribute in some way to social welfare. Voluntaristic forms vary widely depending on social context; however, a theme in recent sociological work is the possible withering away of voluntary practices in the forms that have previously existed. In this article, the author considers how the legacy of radne akcije, the working campaigns once coordinated by the Yugoslav state, is used to frame recent episodes of voluntarism, including the efforts of volunteers during the 2014 floods in Serbia, and charitable donations via SMS. She argues that previous forms of voluntaristic praxis have been fundamentally transformed following a shift in the fiscal and social resources of the state. However, while novel forms of voluntaristic practice and organization reflect the state’s present neoliberal ethos, participants remain wedded to a rhetoric echoing the past socialist collective dynamic.