The pandemic and the shift in social dynamics: how well do existing theoretical frameworks explain volunteering during COVID-19?

This study examines how well existing theoretical frameworks explain formal volunteering amid a public health crisis, focusing on dominant status, social networks, role constraints, and risk perceptions. Grounded in these four theoretical frameworks, the study tests whether the relationships between sociodemographic characteristics and volunteering remained stable or changed during and after COVID-19. The findings reveal that socioeconomic polarization during the pandemic restricted the applicability of dominant status theory to only the highest social strata, whereas the role of social networks remained robust. They also suggest that role constraints from paid work during COVID-19 placed an additional burden on volunteering. However, sociodemographic factors associated with higher risk perception showed no significant difference between during and after COVID-19, likely because virtual volunteering offered a safer alternative for participation.