Chapter 16 - Civic Engagement and Aging

Abstract

Interest in the civic engagement of older Americans has increased considerably among social scientists, policymakers, and governmental and nonprofit leaders for several reasons. Dramatic gains in health, education, and longevity over the past half century have increased individuals' capacity for civic roles and contributions in later life. Prompted by research linking civic engagement with healthy, successful aging, policymakers and government officials are interested in promoting service opportunities for older Americans that can benefit society as well as the volunteers themselves. Finally, facing an escalating demand for social services and concerns about the loss of traditional volunteers—especially housewives—nonprofit sector leaders have stepped up efforts to enlist the growing population of older persons to help fill the gap. This chapter examines civic engagement from the perspectives of conceptual and theoretical issues and measurement issues. It provides an overview of findings on trends and life course variation in civic engagement; and discusses implications of civic engagement for older adults and for society, respectively. Evidence to date indicates that civic engagement benefits both participants and the broader community. Recent research has sought to identify civic engagement as a formal retirement role, distinguished in terms of level of commitment that goes beyond the act of volunteering itself.