Volunteers in America: How Volunteerism and American Civil Society Shape Our Museums

This thesis examines the intersection of volunteerism, museum studies, and American civil society, using these frameworks to examine volunteer motivations within two Denver area art museums. Additionally, there is much current scholarship that focuses on the relationship between museums and community, yet does not often address the role of museum volunteerism within such a context. This thesis therefore also examines the intersection of community and museum volunteerism, presenting a starting point for future researches to continue studying museum volunteerism within the context of civic engagement. This thesis finds that, while the ideology of American civil society plays a role in museum volunteerism, personal motivations are more likely to push an individual to volunteer. It also concludes that volunteers are currently less likely to see museums as civically engaged places than other institutions. Finally, this thesis presents possible actions to help museum staff and community partners create a more civically engaged museum volunteer corps