Attachment to Volunteering

We propose that volunteers' attachment to their work is determined by the level of resources they bring to it, the rewards they derive from it, and the context in which the work is carried out. We test this theory using two waves of the Americans' Changing Lives panel study (1986–1989). The resources part of the theory is supported: the likelihood of remaining in the volunteer labor force across the two waves is greater for the more highly educated, those who report higher rates of formal and informal social interaction, and those who have children in the household—the last effect is stronger for women. Respondents reporting an increase in regular working hours across the two waves are more likely to cease volunteering. However, declining functional ability has no effect on attachment. The reward part of the theory is not consistently supported. Commitment to volunteer work in the first wave (measured by hours volunteered) predicts being a volunteer in the second, but enjoying the work has no effect, and being satisfied with the results of the work decreases attachment. Compared to a number of other work contexts, church-related volunteering in the first wave is the strongest predictor of being a volunteer in the second.     

社会工作的专业地位、基本策略以及与志愿服务的关系:历史回顾与反思

社会工作产生于志愿服务。在寻求科学化的慈善服务中,社会工作者始终与志愿者保持着一种平等合作的关系,注重在社区的场景中把个人改变和社会改变结合起来。但是,在成为政府提供直接社会福利服务的主要专业之后,社会工作把专业地位的寻求作为发展的主要目标,在专业内部,出现个人因素与社会因素的冲突;在专业外部,出现社会工作者与志愿者平等合作关系的断裂。全球化带来经济竞争的加剧,改变了政府的基本社会政策,促使社会福利服务从政府为主转变成多方参与的多元服务模式。80、90年代西方社会普遍认识到政府和市场机制的限制,鼓励非政府组织加入社会福利服务系统。这样,在全球化处境下社会工作需要重新确定自己的专业位置,它不仅是政府多层面管理系统的一部分,同时又是与非政府组织等各种社会资源合作的政府代言人,只有通过与志愿者建立平等合作的关系,才能在社区中充分整合各种社会资源为社区居民提供符合本地需要的专业服务。西方社会工作的专业化发展经验也为我国社会工作的发展提供有益的借鉴,帮助中国社会工作者更好地应对全球化带来的各项挑战。     

‘I guess it’s kind of elitist’: the formation and mobilisation of cultural,social and physical capital in youth sport volunteering

Policy and research portray sport volunteering as a means by which young people can develop skills and perform active citizenship. This paper draws on qualitative research with participants in a UK sport volunteering programme to critically examine young people’s volunteering journeys and how these are shaped by their formation and mobilisation of capital. The results show how programme structures and practices, such as selection criteria, privilege young people with higher levels of cultural and physical capital, and afford these youth additional opportunities to accumulate and mobilise cultural and social capital. The paper argues for a more critical understanding of youth sport volunteering; one that recognises that sport volunteering can reserve the practice of active citizenship for privileged youth.     

Do pledges lead to more volunteering? An experimental study

The effect of pledges on donations is ambiguous. Pledges can boost donations because pledges make it easier for people to accept a request without incurring the costs of donating right away. However, pledges can also decrease donations because individuals who pledge renege on their promises. In this paper, we study the effect of pledges on volunteering using an online experiment. We find that pledges decrease immediate rejection to volunteering requests, but pledges are often reneged later, resulting in no overall change in volunteering rates. We provide a theoretical framework for understanding the conditions under which these results emerge.     

The Foundations for Charitable Organization and Giving

This paper examines the moral foundations of the welfare functions of the major social institutions, motivations, and types of philanthropic giving by individuals and corporations, volunteering and corporate social responsibility. These non-state activities are essential building blocks and social capital for a dynamic caring civil society. However, they should only complement and not replace the state action of feasible arrangements for universal coverage in meeting the recognized social needs and contingencies of its citizens.     

Substitute or Complement? Spousal Influence on Volunteering

Social scientists have documented the influence of family statuses on volunteering, ignoring intrafamily effects. Using newly issued data from the Current Population Survey on the volunteer behavior of 19,626 American couples, we test two competing theories concerning spousal influences on volunteering. Substitution theory predicts that spouses will trade off volunteer work; complementarity theory predicts that spouses’ volunteer work is positively linked. Using structural equation methods to control for simultaneity bias, we find support for the complementarity theory. The wife’s influence, however, is stronger than the husband’s. Spousal influence is stronger if both spouses volunteer in the same domain. The findings underline the importance of close relationships in mobilizing volunteer workers.     

从志愿服务西部看当代大学生的价值观

大学生志愿服务西部计划的成功实践凸显了大学生价值观的主流和特点,通过对大学生志愿服务西部价值取向的成因分析,明确价值观教育的作用,从而为高等学校更好地开展大学思想政治教育提供重要启示。     

Researching Giving and Volunteering in Australia

The giving of time and money, mainly to private nonprofit organisations is not trivial, but in Australia has been little studied. This article introduces a special issue of the Australian Journal of Social Issues which draws on data collected in the largest study of giving and volunteering conducted in Australia hitherto. It seeks to establish terminological guidelines and reviews past Australian research on giving and volunteering, arguing that there has been a disproportionate interest in volunteering. It seeks to put to rest some common myths about giving and explores whether the increase in giving and volunteering can be attributed to government policy. It concludes by introducing the other papers in the collection.