This article explores inconsistencies between Australia’s idealised identity as a modern egalitarian society concerned with the welfare of all and the economic and social reality for a significant and growing number of citizens.

Part of a Master thesis titled “Valuing Volunteers: Better understanding the primary motives for volunteering in Australian emergency service”, this discussion paper critically analyses the all-hazards risk management policy context within which Australian emergency services operate, in order to evaluate the efficacy and integrity of...

Part of a Master thesis titled “Valuing Volunteers: Better understanding the primary motives for volunteering in Australian emergency service”, this discussion paper explores the broader social and cultural contexts for volunteering, highlighting the implications of changing core values for future forms of civic participation, including...

This thesis, the Valuing Volunteers Study, aims to provide a better understanding of the primary motives for formal volunteering in Australian emergency services, through the empirical examination of the shared and contrasting values of a sample of emergency service volunteers.