The Vanity Of Volunteerism Summary

Sara Mosle and Robert Coles are two individuals who become exposed to volunteerism because of specific circumstances yet they also encounter issues of extraordinary mismatch throughout their work. The term “mismatch,” has been applied to biological, psychological and social settings; regardless of the scenario, the outcomes of a mismatch can potentially do more harm than good. Mosle, a middle-aged white woman and journalist residing in a well off neighborhood in New york, becomes a mentor for several children from low-income communities. Coles, a white psychiatrist, pursues an in-depth study of school desegregation through observations of black youth organizations during the Civil Rights era. Mosle and Coles introduce themselves into spaces …show more content…
She mentions that her interests in teaching and connections with fellow scholars have lead her towards her current volunteer position. It should be noted that as a white journalist with a stable source of income, Mosle’s demographics are not concordant with her mentees’ racial and socioeconomic status. This is a mismatch within itself, which makes volunteering a “regressive action.” In other words, the economic disparity that exists within this population would only worsen because individuals from wealthier neighborhoods are not fully aware how their presence in low-income communities can create a power dynamic. According to Mosle, there is also a geographic mismatch in volunteer work, because there is a higher need for volunteers in low SES neighborhoods but those who are willing to meet this necessity are located in more affluent …show more content…
The child psychiatrist aims to study school desegregation through interviews and in-depth conversations about the manner. He utilizes his connection with one high schooler from the black community in order to make his presence known at SNCC headquarters. Coles is so adamant to interview SNCC members that he lists off his past achievements to seem more qualified than others in his position. This method does not lead Coles toward his end goal but rather deters the youth members from accepting the stranger into their sacred space. Perhaps the overload of information gives off the perception that Coles has the privilege to assert his authority in a space that is foreign to his own. In this case, the extraordinary mismatch is Coles’ intention to help a marginalized community through research and the civil rights organizations’ idea of