Solidarity with Migrants in and Around Grenoble - Volunteer Commitment: from Reflection to Action

Abstract: This thesis explores the drivers of the commitment of volunteers that support migrants. It aims at investigating the reasons that lead people to decide to get involved in solidarity action with migrants through the case study of Grenoble and the Isère department, in France. Through qualitative interviews with volunteers and coordinators from solidarity organizations in the geographical area, this ethnographically inspired research identifies factors participating to the birth of solidarity action. Beyond finding that there is never one reason for people to get involved, the study identifies internal and external drivers of the commitment and the mechanisms within which they operate. It concludes that a combination of internal and external factors resulted in the volunteers getting involved physically in helping migrants. Additionally, it contributed to the discussion on solidarity, including its political dimension, and generated findings about motives for volunteering that may benefit civil society actors supporting migrants.