Becoming in the Field: Moral Complexity and Volunteer Transformation in Grassroots Humanitarianism
Author
Kramer, Maxime Minke
Term
4. semester
Education
Publication year
2025
Submitted on
2025-05-23
Pages
68
Abstract
I dette speciale undersøger jeg, hvad humanitært frivilligt arbejde gør ved dem, der deltager i det, med fokus på erfaringer blandt frivillige hos Northern Lights Aid, en græsrodsorganisation, der støtter fordrevne i Kavala, Grækenland. Mange fortalte først, at de meldte sig for at hjælpe andre eller gøre noget godt, men deres refleksioner viste, hvordan forløbet prægede dem følelsesmæssigt, moralsk og professionelt. På baggrund af 4,5 måneders feltarbejde med deltagende observation, udvidede casestudier og kvalitative interviews undersøger jeg, hvordan NLA’s frivillige navigerer omsorg, ansvar og personlig forandring i praksis. Teoretisk trækker jeg på Victor Turners arbejde med ritualer og liminalitet for at forstå frivilligt arbejde som en overgangsrite, hvor tidligere roller sættes på pause, og nye identiteter kan opstå. David Graebers idé om udveksling og “hverdagens kommunisme” – små handlinger af gensidig hjælp og fælles ansvar – hjælper med at belyse de daglige praksisser, der holder teamet kørende og former frivilligenes udvikling. Liisa Malkkis perspektiv på humanitære som også havende egne behov giver en linse til at forstå græsrodsfrivillighed som et sted for selvflugt, selvtab og selvforandring. Gennem fem NLA-frivilliges fortællinger argumenterer jeg for, at humanitær indsats ikke kun handler om at give hjælp, men også om at blive til: at navigere moralsk tvetydighed, knytte relationer og forholde sig til sin egen position og sine privilegier. Erfaringerne udfordrer skellet mellem altruisme og egeninteresse og tyder på, at humanitært frivilligt arbejde i lige så høj grad er arbejde med sig selv som støtte til andre.
This thesis examines what humanitarian volunteering does to those who take part in it, focusing on volunteers at Northern Lights Aid, a grassroots organization that supports displaced communities in Kavala, Greece. While many initially said they joined to help others or do good, their reflections highlighted how the experience shaped them emotionally, morally, and professionally. Based on 4.5 months of fieldwork—including participant observation, extended case studies, and qualitative interviews—I explore how NLA’s volunteers navigate care, responsibility, and personal change in everyday practice. Theoretically, I draw on Victor Turner’s work on rituals and liminality to frame volunteering as a rite of passage, where former roles are suspended and new identities can emerge. David Graeber’s ideas about exchange and “everyday communism”—the small acts of mutual help and shared responsibility—shed light on the daily practices that keep the team going and shape volunteers’ transformations. Liisa Malkki’s perspective on humanitarians as also having needs offers a way to see grassroots volunteering as a site of self-escape, self-loss, and self-transformation. Through the stories of five NLA volunteers, I argue that humanitarianism is not only about giving aid but also about becoming: navigating moral ambiguity, building relationships, and reflecting on one’s own position and privileges. These experiences complicate the divide between altruism and self-interest and suggest that humanitarian volunteering is as much about working on the self as it is about supporting others.
[This summary has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
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