Civic virtue is morality or a level of righteous behaviour which related to a citizen's involvement in society. Volunteer work is a universally valued action as it does not require wealth or material source, just one's time, heart and sense of adventure. Volunteer work is not constrained by age but is a venture that can be enjoyed by those who are young and old. Volunteer works help individuals transcend the narrow boundaries of their lifestyle routines while engaging a broader and deeper world. Through volunteer work, citizens are able to demonstrate habits beneficial to the common welfare of their community around them.
Volunteer work acts as one of the main channels through which individuals can do things for the public good. Volunteer work helps individuals to connect with their communities and improve the conditions for others around them (Tsuruda, 2017). While working even on the smallest tasks, the individuals involved are able to make beneficial distinctions to the lives of others in need. Volunteering is a two-way channel and is beneficial not only to the community being served but also to the volunteer. Through making a decision to volunteer and act in a way that helps others, volunteers act in a way that is appropriate and showcases their level of morality. They act in a way that best protects the interests of the majority. Benjamin Franklin, who is viewed as the 'Founding Father American Volunteerism,' stated that 'one serves not to save their soul but to build a stronger society (Grimm, 2002). Based on this belief, Franklin gathered several volunteers to sweep the streets of Philadelphia. He also organized the first volunteer fire department in the country, and structure a volunteer aid society.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Civic virtues are an aspect of human virtue. Particularly, they are the settled dispositions in individuals that show the behaviours preferred in relevance to being a member of the political community. simply defined, civic virtues are the characteristics that good citizen displays. Participation in volunteer work usually acts as a reflection of an individual's moral values. As most people see volunteerism as a channel of connecting their faith and values with their actions, it shows their beliefs and values concerning their position in society. This action enables individuals to selflessly give of themselves to others while developing rewarding relationships and skills.
Volunteer work engages individuals in social issues in the community around them. Those that volunteer on a regular basis is more likely to continue volunteering on several occasions. This continuance is because volunteering assists in shaping the identities of those involved while assisting them to comprehend the scope of social issues. Due to this, Hudson-Fledge (2018) states that volunteers become regular actors in their civic life as voters, jurors, and leaders who work for social change. Regular volunteers also structure strong social connections with the communities they provide their services to. These relationships then result in an extensive comprehension of the challenges that the community faces.
Therefore, volunteer work not only showcases an individual's civic virtue but is also essential for the development of these virtues. It is critical for individuals to engage in frequent participation in public concerns while exposing them to a wider range of shared problems. Volunteer work is an essential aspect of public morality as it encourages the deliberation of a greater range of collective issues. By engaging in public activities, and working for the good of others, volunteer work acts the best way through which public morality can be developed.
References
Grimm, R. T. (Ed.). (2002). Notable American philanthropists: Biographies of giving and volunteering . Greenwood Publishing Group.
Tsuruda, S. (2017). Volunteer Work, Inclusivity, and Social Equality. The Philosophical Foundations of Labour Law (Hugh Collins, Gillian Lester & Virginia Mantouvalou eds., Forthcoming) .
