Abstract
As a person goes through the various stages of life, many things change, including the ways one volunteers and for what reasons (Musick and Wilson 2008). This chapter reviews research on formal volunteering at three different life stages: youth, elderly, and parental volunteering. In each stage, we discuss the definitions, unique characteristics, and scope of volunteering. We further analyze the existing knowledge on motivations, benefits, challenges, and impact for each age group. Furthermore, we discuss the cultural differences of volunteering in each stage in various regions around the world. We conclude with a comparison between the three groups and discuss future trends. The three life stages examined are more distinct and meaningful in industrial and postindustrial societies than in less complex societies, owing to mass education and longer lifespans. Given wide cultural differences in how individuals progress through these stages, the intersection of life-cycle stage and cultural setting are major variables in understanding patterns of volunteering.
Generally, the study of volunteering in specific age groups or categories is not well developed.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
Bibliography
A Discussion with Marie Juul Petersen and Sara Lei Sparre, Islam and Civil Society in Jordan and Egypt [Interview by K. Marshall]. 2007, December 15. Retrieved from http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/interviews/a-discussion-with-marie-juul-petersen-and-sara-lei-sparre-islam-and-civil-society-in-jordan-and-egypt.
ABS. 2011. Voluntary work, Australia. Canberra: ABS. Retrieved from http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/404350EEC6509985CA2579580013177A/$File/44410_2010.pdf.
Abu Lughod, L. 2012. “Living the ‘revolution’ in an Egyptian Village: Moral Action in a National Space.” Journal of the American Ethnological Society. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1548-1425.2011.01341.x/full.
Adunyarittigun, D. 1997. Effects of the Parent Volunteer Program upon Students’ Self-Perception as a Reader. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED404617, University of Maryland, College Park, MD.
Anheier, H. K., and L. M. Salamon. n.d. Volunteering in Cross-National Perspective: Initial Comparisons. Retrieved July 2001 from http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/29049/1/CSWP_10_web.pdf.
Awad, M., and D. J. Watson. 2010. “Volunteerism in Nonprofit Sector — a Case Study of Palestinian Non-governmental Organizations (NG05) in the West Bank.” Master’s thesis, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses 166.
Bayat, A. 2002. “Activism and Social Development in the Middle East.” International Journal of Middle East Studies. Retrieved from http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=105825.
Bayat, A. 2010. Life as Politics: How Ordinmy People Change the Middle East. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Bekkers, R. 2007. “Intergenerational Transmission of Volunteering.” Acta Sociologica 50: 99–114.
Bendania, A., S. Al Dina, and C. Garris. 2012. “Motivation for Volunteering in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” Paper Presented at the 10th International Conference of the International Society for Third Sector Research, Italy. Retrieved from http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.istr.org/resource/resmgdwp2012/istr_paper_saudi_voluteering.pdf.
Bowen, D. J., D. Robyn-Andersen, and N. Urban. 2000. “Volunteerism in a Community-based Sample of Women Aged 50 to 80 Years.” Journal of Applied Social Psychology 30 (9): 1829–1842.
Bradford-Brown, R., R. Larson, and T. S. Saraswathi. 2002. World’s Youth. Port Chester, NY: Cambridge University Press. Retrieved December 12, 2013 from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/aucairo/docDetail.action?docID=10030918&-ppg=1.
Brown, D. 1998. Schools with Heart: Voluntarism and Public Education. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Burke, M. A. 1999. “Analyzing the Cost Effectiveness of Using Parents and Community Volunteers to Improve Students’ Language Arts Test Scores.” Los Angeles, CA: University of Southern California. Unpublished doctoral dissertation.
Cattan, M., E. Hogg, and I. Hardill. 2011. “Improving Quality of Life in Ageing Populations: What Can Volunteering Do?” Maturitas 70: 328–332.
Child Trends. 2011. Volunteering. Retrieved from http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/alphalist?q=node/144.
Child Trends Databank. 2012. Parental Involvement in Schools: Indicators on Children and Youth. Retrieved January 15, 2013 from http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/sites/default/files/39_Parent_Involvement_In_Schools.pdf.
Clary, E. Gil, Mark Snyder, and Arthur A. Stukas. 1996. “Volunteers’ Motivations: Finding from a National Survey.” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 25 (4): 485–505.
Cochran, M., and C. Dean. 1991. “Home-School Relations and the Empowerment Process.” Elementary School Journal 9: 261–269.
Daly, Marwa. 2008. Philanthropy in Egypt. Cairo, Egypt: Center for Development Services.
Davis-Smith, J. 1999. “Poor Marketing or the Decline of Altruism? Young People and Volunteering in the UK.” International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing 4 (4): 372–377.
De Raad, A. 2006. “Proactively Embracing Volunteerism.” UN Chronicle 43 (4): 57. Retrieved December 12, 2013 from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=24343281&site=pov-live
Demura, S., and S. Sato. 2003. “Relationships Between Depression, Lifestyle and Quality of Life in the Community Dwelling Elderly: A Comparison Between Gender and Age Groups.” Journal of Physiological Anthropology and Applied Human Science 22 (3): 159–166.
Drever, E. 2010. Citizenship Survey: Volunteering and Charity Giving Topic Report. London: Department for Communities and Local Government.
Ehlers, A., G. Naegele, and M. Reichert. 2011. Volunteering by Older People in the EU. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
Epstein, J. L. 2001. School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Preparing Educators, and Improving Schools. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.
Erlinghagen, M., and Hank, K. 2006. “The Participation of Older Europeans in Volunteer Work.” Ageing & Society 26 (4): 567–584.
Gee, L. K. 2011. “The Nature of Giving Time to Your Child’s School.” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 40: 552–565.
Ghabra, S. 1991. “Voluntary Associations in Kuwait: The Foundation of a New System?” Middle East Journal 45 (2): 199-215.
Haski-Leventhal, Debbie. 2009. “Elderly Volunteering and Well-being: A Cross-European Comparison Based on SHARE data.” Voluntas 20 (4): 388–404.
Haski-Leventhal, Debbie., Lucas C. Meijs, and Lesley Hustinx. 2010. “The Third-party Model: Enhancing Volunteering Through Governments, Corporations and Educational Institutes.” Journal of Social Policy 39 (1): 139–158.
Haski-Leventhal, Debbie, N. Ronel, A. York, and B. Ben-David. 2008. “Youth Volunteering for Youth: Who are they Serving, How Are They Being Served.” Children and Youth Services Review 30: 834–846.
Herzog, A. R., and J. N. Morgan. 1992. “Age and Gender Differences in the Value of Productive Activities.” Research on Aging 14 (2): 169–198.
Ho, S. C., and S. Tsoi. 2001. Home-school Cooperation Research Project: Success Indicators and Exploration of Practices. Hong Kong, China: The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Hoodfar, H. 2010. “Health as a Context for Social and Gender Activism: Female Volunteer Health Workers in Iran.” Population and Development Review 36 (3): 487-510. Retrieved December 12, 2013 from http://www.jstotorg/stable/25749197.
Hopkins, P., and R. Pain. 2007. “Geographies of Age: Thinking Relationally.” Area 39 (3): 287–294.
Ibrahim, Barbara L. 2012. “Tahrir Square Generation.” Midan Masr. Retrieved from http://www.midanmasr.com/en/article.aspx?ArticleID=56.
Ibrahim, Barbara L., and Leah. Hunt-Hendrix. 2011. Youth, Service and Pathways to Democracy in Egypt. Cairo, Egypt: John D. Gerhart Center for Philanthropy and Civic Engagement, American University in Cairo Press.
Ibrahim, Barbara L., and Dina H. Sherif. 2008. From Charity to Social Change: Trends in Arab Philanthropy. Cairo, Egypt: American University in Cairo Press.
Independent Sector. 1998. America’s Senior Volunteers. Washington, DC: Independent Sector.
Independent Sector. 2001. Giving and Volunteering in the United States. Washington, DC: Independent Sector.
Jennings, M. K. 2002. “Generation Units and the Student Protest Movement in the United States: An Infra- and Intergenerational Analysis.” Political Psychology 23: 303–324.
Johnson, M. K., T. Beebe, J. T. Mortimer, and M. Snyder. 1998. “Volunteerism in Adolescence: A Process Perspective.” Journal of Research on Adolescence 8: 309–332.
Jones, F. 2000. “Youth Volunteering on the Rise.” Perspectives on Labour and Income 12: 36–42.
Kahne, J., and E. Middaugh. 2008. “Democracy for Some: The Civic Opportunity Gap in High School.” Working Paper #59. Medord, MA: CIRCLE, Tufts University.
Kam, P. K. 1996. “Empowering Elderly People: A Community Work Approach.” Community Development Journal 31 (3): 230–240.
Kandil, Amani. 2004. “Civic Service in the Arab Region.” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 33 (45): 395–505.
Knoke, David., and R. Thompson. 1977. “Voluntary Association Membership Trends and the Family Life Cycle.” Social Forces 56 (1): 48–65.
Kovacs, P. J., and B. Black. 1999. “Volunteerism and Older Adults: Implications for Social Work Practice.” Journal of Gerontological Social Work 32 (4): 25–39.
Lewton, A. R., and M. A. Nievar. 2012. “Strengthening Families Through Volunteerism: Integrating Family Volunteerism and Family Life Education.” Marriage & Family Review 48 (7): 689–710.
Littlepage, L., E. Obergfell, and G. Zanin. 2003. “Family Volunteering: An Exploratory Study of the Impact on Families.” Indianapolis, IN: Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
Low, N., S. Butt, A. Ellis Paine, and J. Davis Smith. 2007. Helping Out: A National Survey of Volunteering and Charitable Giving. London: Cabinet Office.
Moore, C. W., and J. A. Allen. 1996. “The Effect of Volunteering on the Young Volunteer.” Journal of Primary Prevention 17 (2): 231–258.
Morrissey, K. M., and R. Werner-Wilson. 2005. “The Relationship Between Out of School Time Activities and Positive Youth Development: An Investigation of the Influences of Community and Family.” Adolescence 40 (157): 67–85.
Morrow-Howell, Nancy, J. Hinterlong, P. A. Rozario, and F. Tang. 2003. “Effects of Volunteering on the Well-Being of Older Adults.” Journal of Gerontology Social Work 58 (3): 137-145.
Morrow-Howell, Nancy, and A. C. Mui. 1989. “Elderly Volunteers: Reasons for Initiating and Terminating Service.” Journal of Gerontological Social Work 13(3-4):21–34.
Musick, Marc A., A. R. Herzog, and J. S. House. 1999. “Volunteering and Mortality Among Older Adults: Findings from a National Sample.” Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 54 (3): 173–180.
Musick, Marc A., and John Wilson. 2003. “Volunteering and Depression: The Role of Psychological and Social Resources in Different Age Groups.” Social Science and Medicine 56 (2): 259–269.
Musick, Marc A., and John Wilson. 2008. Volunteers: A Social Profile. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Mustillo, A., J. Wilson, and S. M. Lynch. 2004. “Legacy Volunteering: A Test of Two Theories of Intergenerational Transmission.” Journal of Marriage and Family 66: 530–541.
Nereim, V. 2012, July 17. UAE Youngsters to Give a Helping Hand During Ramadan I The National. Retrieved from http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/uae-youngsters-to-give-a-helping-hand-during-ramadan.
Nolan, Patrick, and Gerhard Lenski. 2006. Human Societies: An Introduction to Macrosociology. Boulder, CO: Paradigm Publishers.
Oesterie, S., M. Kilpatrick, and J. Mortimer. 2004. “Volunteerism During the Transition to Adulthood: A Life Course Perspective.” Social Forces 48 (3).
Okun, M., A. Barr, and A. R. Herzog. 1998. “Motivation to Volunteer by Older Adults: A Test of Competing Measurement Models.” Psychology and Aging 13 (4): 608–621.
Omoto, A. M., M. Snyder, and S. C. Martino. 2000. “Volunteerism and the Life Course: Investigating Age-Related Agenda for Action.” Basic and Applied Social Psychology 22: 181–197.
Pang, I. 2004. “School-Family-Community Partnership in Hong Kong - Perspectives and Challenges.” Educational Research for Policy and Practice 3: 109–125.
Perry, J., and A. Thompson. 2003. Civic Service: What Difference Does It Make? Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe.
Population Council, West Asia and North Africa. 2011, January. Survey of Young People in Egypt. Retrieved from http://www.popcouncil.org/projects/SYPE/index.asp.
Porritt, K. 1995. Family Volunteering: The Ties that Bind: An Introduction to Preparing Your Agency for Family Volunteers. Ottawa, Canada: Canadian Heritage.
Reilly, R. C., and V. Vesic. 2002. “Family Volunteering: Making a Difference Together.” Leisure/Loisir 27(3-4):305–332.
Resources for Research in Volunteerism. n.d. World Volunteer Web: Global. Retrieved from http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/resources/research-reports/global.html.
Ruiter, Stijn, and N. D. Graaf. 2006. “National Context, Religiosity and Volunteering: Results from 53 Countries.” American Sociological Review 71 (2): 191–210.
Safa, O. 2007. Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation in the Arab World: The Work of Civil Society Organizations in Lebanon and Morocco. Retrieved from http://edoc.vifapol.de/opus/volltexte/2011/2601/pdf/safa_handbook.pdf.
Schondel, Connie K., and Kathryn E. Boehm. 2000. “Motivational Needs of Adolescent Volunteers.” Adolescence 35 (138): 335–344.
Schondel, Connie, Kathryn E. Boehm, J. Rose, and A. Marlowe. 1995. “Adolescent Volunteers: An Untapped Resource in the Delivery of Adolescent Preventive Health Care.” Youth and Society 27: 123–135.
Smith, David H. 1997. “The International History of Grassroots Associations.” International Journal of Comparative Sociology 38(3-4):189–216.
Smith, David H. 2000. Grassroots Associations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Smith, David H. (in press) 2016. “Four Global Associational Revolutions: Explaining Their Causes and Setting Straight the Socio-Historical Record.” Civil Society in Russia and Beyond (English translation of journal name, published in Russian, but this article is in English). 7.
Somalia Human Development Report. 2012: “Empowering Youth for Peace and Devel-opment.” Somalia Human Development Report. Retrieved from http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/hdr/Somalia-human-development-report-2012/.
Sparre, Sara L., and M. J. Petersen. 2007. “Youth and Social Change in Jordan and Egypt.” ISIM Review 20 (2): 14–15.
Sui-Chu, E. H., and J. D. Willms. 1996. “Effects of Parental Involvement on Eight-Grade Achievement.” Sociology of Education 69: 126–141.
Sundeen, Richard A. 1990. “Family Life Course Status and Volunteer Behavior: Implications for the Single Parent.” Sociological Perspectives 33 (4): 483–500.
Sundeen, Richard A., and Sally A. Raskoff. 2000. “Ports of Entry and Obstacles: Teenagers’ Access to Volunteer Activities.” Nonprofit Management & Leadership 11: 179-197.
The Talloires Network. 2016. American University of Beirut (Lebanon). Retrieved May 22 from http://talloiresnetwork.tufts.edu/american-university-of-beirut-lebanon/.
Toca Torres, C. E., and J. C. Rodriguez. 2013. “Donating and Volunteering as Social Capital in Bogota.” Bulletin of Latin American Research 32 (2): 133-148. Retrieved December 12, 2013 from http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1470-9856.2012.00797.x.
Toppe, C. M., A. D. Kirsch, and J. Michel. 2002. Giving & Volunteering in the United States, 2001: Findings from a National Survey. Independent Sector.
Uggen, C., and J. Janikula. 1999. “Volunteerism and Arrest in the Transition to Adulthood.” Social Forces 78: 331–362.
United Nations Development Programme and United Nations Volunteers. 2011. State of Volunteerism in China: Engaging People Through Ideas, Innovation and Inspiration. Beijing, China: United Nations.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2012. Volunteering in the United States, 2011. Washington, DC: Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor.
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. 2001. The Condition of Education 2001 (NCES 2001-072). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2001072.
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. 2005. Parent and Family Involvement in Education: 2002-03. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office: Table 3. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2005043.
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. 2008. Parent and Family Involvement in Education, 2006-07 School Year (NCES 2008-050). Washington, DC. Table 3. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2008/2008050.pdf.
Van Hollen, A. 2012, March 9. “The Green Intifada: How Palestinians Resist Occupation by Planting Trees.” The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/03/the-green-intifada-how-palestinians-resist-occupation-by-planting-trees/254228/.
Van Willigen, M. 2000. “Differential Benefits of Volunteering Across the Life Course.” Journal of Gerontology 55: 308–318.
Vanden-Kiernan, N., J. McManus, and C. Chapman. 2005. Parent and Family Involvement in Education: 2002-03 (NCES No. 2005-043). : U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences.
Volunteering in America. 2012. Corporation for National and Community Service. Retrieved from http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/data.cfm.
Volunteering and Social Activism: Pathways for Participation in Human Development. 2008, December 05. World Volunteer Web. Retrieved from http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/resources/research-reports/global/doc/volunteering-and-social-activism.html.
Weber, R. 2011. “Volunteering Among Australian Adolescents.” Youth Studies Australia 30 (1): 9–16.
Wijeyesekera, D. 2011. “The State of Youth Volunteering in Africa.” A Discussion Paper for the 2011 IVCO Conference. Retrieved from http://www.restlessdevelopment.org/file/forum-youth-volunteering-africa-pdf.
Wilson, John, and Marc Musick. 1999. “The Effects of Volunteering on the Volunteer.” Law and Contemporary Problems 62 (4): 141–168.
Youniss, J., and M. Yates. 1996. Community Service and Social Responsibility in Youth. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Youth Volunteers Rebuilding Darfur. n.d. United Nations Development Programme. Retrieved from http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/poverty-reduction/participatory_localdevelopment/youth-volunteers-rebuilding-darfur.html.
Zaff, J., and E. Michelsen. 2002. Encouraging Civic Engagement: How Teens Are (or Are Not) Becoming Responsible Citizens. Washington, DC: Child Trends.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2016 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Haski-Leventhal, D., Metz, E., Hogg, E., Ibrahim, B., Smith, D., Wang, L. (2016). Volunteering in Three Life Stages. In: The Palgrave Handbook of Volunteering, Civic Participation, and Nonprofit Associations. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-26317-9_30
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-26317-9_30
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-26316-2
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-26317-9
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)