Voluntary Work and Reciprocity: A Normative Approach

Within the current debate on social priorities, voluntary work has come to the forefront. It is important to collocate appropriately this activity, which involves loyalty and solidarity, within economic theory, recognising its contribution to economic and social development and to improved labour market performance. In this paper, the perspective is «normative» rather than «positive»; in other words, the aim is not to discuss the role of voluntary work in Italy and the world today, but rather to discuss how volunteering should be regulated in order to ensure its contribution to a country’s social and economic growth.