How voluntary action has been defined and measured is considered alongside individuals' accounts of their participation and engagement in volunteering over their lifecourse in this pioneering study. Combining rich, qualitative material from the Mass Observation Archive (1981-2012) with data from longitudinal and cross-sectional social surveys, it asks what is the scope and appetite for expansion of voluntary effort?

How voluntary action has been defined and measured is considered alongside individuals' accounts of their participation and engagement in volunteering over their lifecourse in this pioneering study. Combining rich, qualitative material from the Mass Observation Archive (1981-2012) with data from longitudinal and cross-sectional social surveys, it asks what is the scope and appetite for expansion of voluntary effort?