Paper short abstract:

This paper investigates conflicts about associational structure within the Danish movement Venligboerne. It argues that the question of organization is not just related to degree of formalization, but also to different understandings of equality and competing ideas about sociality.

Paper long abstract:

During the so-called refugee crisis in 2015 and beyond, several initiatives to welcome asylum seekers and assist refugees in their process of settlement developed in Northern Europe. In Denmark, a large part of these vernacular humanitarian activities took place through the newly established movement of Venligboerne [Friendly Neighbours].

A shared denominator across European refugee movements is the basic assumption that refugees need help. However, during my fieldwork with different Venligbo groups, I found that how Venligboerne help refugees is equally important. Despite their nationwide appearance, Venligboerne never developed a formal structure, but remained as individually organized groups that each negotiated approach, activities, and interactions. In several local groups, disagreements developed regarding whether it would be useful for them to establish themselves as voluntary associations or not.

In this paper, I will investigate how conflicts about formalization and institutionalization are related to ideas about what Venligboerne are and should be. I will show that the formalization of some groups is closely linked to the relationship between the state and civil society in Denmark. I further argue that the question of organization is not just related to degree of formalization, but also to different understandings of equality. In this way, struggles to avoid formalization can be considered as a kind of “prefigurative politics” because forms of organization express ideas about sociality. On a more general level, looking at refugee reception in Denmark both sheds light on developments in the field of voluntary activities and explores the cultural settings that frame them.