Trends and barriers of the development of volunteerism in Vologda

Volunteerism becomes a real resource of the socio-economic development of Russian society. In this regard, there is an increasing need to study the current state and barriers of the development of volunteerism on regional and municipal levels, because it is where specific problems, which affect interests of the population, are solved. The purpose of the study is to define key trends and problematic moments which interfere with the development of volunteerism in Vologda. The novelty of the work is the aggregation of the generally accepted algorithm for evaluating the development of volunteerism with data based on people’s subjective perceptions. The main method was the analysis of normative legal acts of various levels, the results of sociological surveys of VolRC RAS, and materials from websites. The study revealed that Russia established a common legal framework for volunteerism on federal and regional levels, and it is actively supported by the state. However, it was concluded that there is a discrepancy in matters concerning the volunteerism state support on different levels of governance, and there are no regulated standards in the field of regulation and support of volunteerism in municipalities. Despite some negative trends regarding the population’s self-esteem in relation to their participation in the town’s public life, citizens of Vologda show a significant potential for such participation. Main barriers to the development of volunteerism in the urban space are the self-awareness of the inability to change the state of affairs in the town, the indifference to general affairs, individualism, the lack of time, poor awareness. The results of the research might be used in scientific and educational activities. It might also be useful for authorities in making quality management decisions concerning the improvement of the effectiveness of volunteerism in required areas. The prospect of further work is to assess the economic and social effectiveness of volunteerism on regional and municipal levels.