Service is an organized period of substantial engagement and contribution to the local, national, or world community, recognized and valued by society, with minimal monetary compensation to the participant. My purposes in specifying this definition are to distinguish service from other types of voluntarism; to emphasize the institutional nature of service, with defined roles and expectations; and to extend the concept of service beyond national military service. The emphasis on civic service in this paper and on this panel does not downplay the importance of military service, but seeks to broaden the meaning of service and asks if this broader meaning is more suited to the technological, political, and social circumstances of the twenty-first century.
Project: Civic Engagement and Service
Citation
Sherraden, M. (2001, October). Civic service: Issues, outlook, institution building (CSD Perspective No. 01-18). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development.