Disabled and elderly citizens' perceptions and experiences of voluntarism as an alternative to publically financed care in the Netherlands

Many European welfare states are replacing comprehensive welfare schemes with selective and conditional entitlements. Such changes affect the recognition of vulnerable citizens' needs, which are increasingly framed as private responsibilities to be met by the voluntary sector. Repeated interviews with 30 clients affected by cutbacks to publicly financed (day)care in the Netherlands show that although disabled and elderly citizens are often hesitant to open their doors to volunteers, they do experiment with voluntarism to reduce their social isolation, both by receiving voluntary care and by engaging in volunteer work themselves. However, the turn to voluntarism does not always prompt recognition of the needs of vulnerable citizens. This study signals how disappointing and sometimes demeaning experiences with volunteers can increase feeling of misrecognition. We conclude that the virtues of voluntarism may be overstated by policy makers and that the bases of recognition should be reconsidered as welfare states implement reform.