Abstract
Scholarship on volunteering has paid insufficient attention to how experiences of volunteering in the past affect current and future participation. The importance of this relationship is emphasized by the introduction of public policies across the globe focusing on national service programmes and community service in schools with the underlying intention of inducing ongoing pro-social behavior. Using the UK longitudinal data, this article analyzes the prevalence of persistent individual volunteering behavior over the life-course, and most importantly, the extent to which past volunteering has a causal influence on current and future participation. Strong evidence of this relationship is provided, suggesting that volunteer-stimulating policy measures—such as the UK government’s National Citizen Service initiative for all young people between 16 and 17 years of age—will have a more profound effect because they do not only affect current volunteering activities but are also likely to induce a permanent change in favor of volunteering.
Highlights
In the UK, 14.2 million people formally volunteered at least once per month in 2015/2016 (National Council for Voluntary Organisations 2017)
While the previous studies have highlighted a strong relationship between past and current volunteering behavior (Glass et al 1995; Mutchler et al 2003; Wilson and Musick 1997), little is known about the mechanics behind this temporal phenomenon
Using seven waves of data from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS), we find that volunteering behavior is highly persistent
Summary
In the UK, 14.2 million people formally volunteered at least once per month in 2015/2016 (National Council for Voluntary Organisations 2017). Never/almost never Once a year or less Several times a year At least once a month At least once a week Control variables Female Age White Self-employed Employee Unemployed Retired Family care Economically inactive Hours worked Married Widowed/divorced/separated Never married Spouse/partner employed Number of dependent children in the household Household size University degree Vocational college qualification A-level O-level/GCSE’s Other qualifications No qualifications Number of cigarettes smoked General health Log household income Own house outright Own house with mortgage Rents house, private sector Rents house, social sector Observations Number of individuals
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