On Good Deeds and the Reproduction of Social Inequality: An Empirical Study on Social Class and Volunteering in Germany

Abstract

This study re-examines volunteering through Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical framework, arguing that in Germany and other western countries, volunteering functions as a means of accumulating symbolic capital (i.e. social recognition and status). Individuals from higher social classes are increasingly investing in this field, thereby restricting access for those from lower classes. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (1992–2017) and the German Survey on Volunteering (2014), I examine class-based differences in overall volunteering and specific activities linked to varying levels of symbolic capital. Panel analyses indicate that higher social classes have intensified their engagement in volunteering over the past decades, widening the gap with lower social classes. Furthermore, individuals from higher social classes prefer prestigious volunteering activities that facilitate symbolic capital accumulation. This trend has contributed to a long-term increase in class disparities in volunteering, reinforcing social inequalities and limiting opportunities for lower-class participation.