Demand Networks and Informal Volunteering

Patterns of volunteering have predominantly been explained by focusing on the supply side of volunteering, where differences in volunteering reflect differences in resources and motivations. In this article, we shift the focus to the demand side of volunteering, and argue that a proper account of differences in volunteering must include differences in demand for help. We develop the concept of demand networks, as the inverse of support networks, and argue that demand networks are important to explain voluntary social work and support. We define demand networks as the demand for support requested through ego’s personal network. We propose a model where the amount of demand for help in ego’s network influences the likelihood that ego helps. We then turn to explain what factors create differences in amount of demand in personal networks as well as how they mediate and moderate the effect of demand networks. We focus on factors at 1) a structural level concerning the socio-economic strata of the individual and the organization of the voluntary effort, distinguishing between informal- and formal civil society, and 2) at an institutional level focusing on altruistic values and gendered social roles that may differentiate expectations to care for others and respond to demands for help. We test the resulting associational hypotheses using a cross-sectional population survey inquiring about volunteering during COVID-19 in Denmark. The results support the main hypotheses, indicating the importance of the demand side to adequately explain volunteering.