“[...] I think that I am even receiving, like getting more than I give.” : Motivations and Experiences of Long-Term International Volunteers in Finland

International volunteering has gained increasing popularity in the 21st century, and people from various backgrounds seek opportunities to join volunteer programs abroad. In this thesis, I will explore what types of processes volunteers go through while living and working in a foreign country. I try to understand what motivates young adults to participate in a long-term volunteer project in Finland, how they describe their experiences, and what outcomes they observe. I will employ a qualitative research approach, with semi-structured interviews as the data collection method. The aim is to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences of the selected participants. As main theoretical frameworks, I will apply Volunteer Functions Inventory (Clary et al., 1998) and the process of Cross-Cultural Adaptation (Kim, 2001). Based on the data, I identified five main themes including, initial motivations, experiences of cultural adaptation, meaning-making, personal effects of volunteering, and outlook on the future. The findings in this thesis suggest that people volunteer for multiple reasons and one participant may have more than one motivation. Cultural differences, especially regarding language and communication, required adjustment. Also, volunteers explained how they found meaning within the experience, and how the volunteering and living in Finland affected them personally. Finally, volunteers discussed their future ambitions and how their current situation has impacted their outlook.

Grantor dc:publisher

Helsingin yliopisto

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Kinebuchi, Ronja

• International volunteering
• Volunteer Functions Inventory
• Motivations
• Experiences
• Cross-Cultural Adaptation

Statement dc:rights

• CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10138/634071

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:helda.helsinki.fi:10138/634071