Abstract
Volunteerism is an integral part of American life (Herman, 1994), and can trace its roots as far back as Neolithic hunter-gatherer societies. People have always recognized the need to work together to accomplish shared tasks for survival (Grobman, 2007). In 2008, 61.8 million volunteers, just over 26% of the American population, donated over 8.2 billion hours of volunteer service (US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009). The purpose of this study was to serve as an exploratory look at volunteerism from the perspective of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) based on their service experience. The Peace Corps is an agency within the United States Department of State that sends volunteers to provide education, health, business, community development, and agricultural services to developing nations. The study was conducted using three small group interviews that included seven individuals who participated in the Peace Corps between 1962 and 2003. Originally Stebbins' (1982) "serious leisure" was used as the framework for the interview questions and research design. While elements of "serious leisure" were found, analysis of the data revealed that the concept of negotiation was the overarching theme used to interpret the findings. Negotiation of the experience was seen in three dominant areas: 1) negotiation via relationships with community members, fellow volunteers, and friends and family at home; 2) negotiation of cultural norms through adoptions, challenge and temporary perpetuation of those norms; and 3) negotiation of the re-adjustment period after returning home and their strategies for finding their place in the life they left behind. In looking at the experiences of volunteers, especially those who participate in long-term, high-commitment activities such as Peace Corps volunteers, having a better understanding of the ways in which volunteers negotiated through their Peace Corps experience can aid in better understanding the needs and motivations of highcommitment volunteers as well as improving recruitment and retention of volunteers. Future research should look at Returned Peace Corps Volunteers from other geographic locations within the United States as well as including more men in the study. All of the participants in this study were members of a RPCV local or national organization. The experiences of individuals who participated in the Peace Corps, but are not members of an RPCV organization should be explored as well.