The role of place attachment in local volunteering: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Place attachment has been perceived as one of the many motives that mobilise volunteers. However, in the case of local volunteers it seems to be an important element of their lifestyle orientation based on strong emotional bonds with the place. In this respect, this exploratory study examines the ‘person-process-place’ theoretical framework to provide a deeper understanding of how place attachment affects local volunteers’ experiences. Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) with the use of semi-structured interviews has been employed to examine local volunteers’ interpretations of their experiences. Findings revealed that place attachment motivated residents to participate in voluntary associations. In addition, place attachment was more related to knowledge of the local area and attachment to the physical features of the place. The theoretical implications of this study concern additional insights on the ‘person-process-place’ framework by including volunteering and residents’ participation in community activities as a behavioural aspect of place attachment. Practical implications concern community engagement issues and management of voluntary associations.