Disaster Volunteer Centers : Service as Hospitality or Service as Struggle

ミヤマエ, リョウヘイ

Miyamae, Ryohei

サイガイ　ト　キョウセイ　ケンキュウカイ

即興・自律モデル

おもてなし

災害VCのサービス業化

闘争としてのサービス

command and control model

improvisational and autonomous model

hospitality

disaster volunteer centre as a service company

service as a struggle

Disaster volunteer centres (hereafter "VCs") in Japan often act as if they were a service company and typically treat volunteers as customers. I examined two models of disaster volunteer centres: the command-and-control model, which aims to minimise confusion and ensure smooth operations, and the improvisational and autonomous model, which aims to respond flexibly to the needs of survivors. The command/control model values efficiency and is preferred by VC staff, but this model conflicts with the spirit of volunteerism, which emphasises freedom and autonomy. Although a "hospitality" strategy, engaging and alienating volunteers at the same time, is implicit in the command/control model, this strategy is divisive in the relationship between the VC and disaster volunteers. To alleviate this divisiveness and improve the relationship between VCs and volunteers, I argue that “service as struggle” rather than “service as hospitality” is necessary. The explicit involvement in disaster relief activity of both disaster VC staff and individual volunteers is essential. Finally, four points for envisioning a disaster VC based on service as struggle are presented.