”LÄMNA VÄRLDEN SOM EN LITE BÄTTRE PLATS ÄN NÄR MAN KOM” : En studie om drivkrafter till mäns ideella engagemang

Sammanfattning: Volunteering in non-profit organizations is characteristic for Nordic countries and Sweden especially. The most common gender division is, that men tend to be active within sports clubs, often in leading positions or as members at the board. For women it is more common to be part of social organizations, taking care of others. With this existing knowledge as a starting point, this study examines what motivates young men in Sweden who takes part in organizations that practice activities typically coded as feminine. The study is qualitative as we want to examine the intentions, and the feelings participants have about their engagement in these organizations. The collected data was analyzed through thematic analysis. For the purpose of this undergraduate dissertation the authors have studied an organization called Vän In Umeå and interviewed five young men involved in the organization as well as had informal conversations with women working in it. The theoretical framework for the study is based upon the concept of social capital, social exchange theory and theory of motivation. The results show that the young men´s social capital is important for how and if the engagement arises and develops. Another finding is that the will to grow as a person and to be a part of something bigger motivates the men in their volunteering, as well as feelings of doing something of value for another person.