SOCIAL CAPITAL OF SPORTS VOLUNTEERS IN THE LARGE RUSSIAN REGION
The article analyzes the characteristics of sports volunteers’ social capital in one of the largest Russian regions. Foreign and domestic researches show a significant positive impact of volunteer activities on the development of human capital in general. The experience of volunteering is interconnected with the expansion of social networks, increasing the sense of social cohesion and civic potential of people involved in volunteering. Volunteering in sports events is one of the most common areas of voluntary participation in the world. In recent years, Russia has accumulated considerable experience in organizing and conducting international sports events, where volunteer support was successfully carried out. The community of sports volunteers was formed in some regions of Russia, such as the Sverdlovsk region, and the activities of volunteers became quite attractive to residents. The purpose of the article is to characterize the social capital of sports volunteers in one of the largest Russian regions, where this type of volunteering is given special attention and resource support associated with international sports events. The authors analyze the results of a mass survey of residents in the Sverdlovsk region who participated in various volunteer projects and activities in the region and registered in the volunteer center "Volunteers of the Urals". The article compares the opinions of volunteers with the experience of sports volunteering, and residents of the region who participated in any volunteer projects, but were not involved in sports volunteering. The results of the study prove that the experience of sports volunteering contributes to the expansion of social networks. Volunteering in sports events helps to reduce the social distance between members of the community. The nature or quality of interaction between sports volunteers is mainly manifested in the identification of other volunteers as friends or associates. Volunteering in sports events is associated with circumstances that contribute to the establishment of external relations that can work to promote the community of sports volunteers and accompany the career development its members.
Acknowledgement. This research was supported by the grant of the President of the Russian Federation MK-5869.2018.6 «Youth Volunteering in the Russian Region: Development Potential and Management Effectiveness» and the grant of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research № 16-03-00016-ОГН «Russian volunteering dynamics: developing types of activity, challenges and management opportunities».
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