Images of family homes of the surveyed volunteers and their role in undertaking voluntary activity – a case study

Abstract

Taking into account the significant role of family home in the process of shaping human pro-social attitudes, the investigations undertaken were aimed at determining which of the specific features and components of family home have a significant impact on undertaking and conducting socially useful activities by volunteers. The subject of the empirical research of the study were the family homes of the surveyed volunteers, which may be a factor conditioning the undertaking of local initiatives. The aim of the research was to: diagnose which of the elements characterizing the family home of the surveyed volunteers constituted the source of undertaking and conducting their voluntary activity; learning about the nature of interpersonal bonds in the home of the surveyed social workers and determining the role of the family home in the care, upbringing and education of the surveyed volunteers, which determines the undertaking and conducting of local initiatives by them in the studied area. The research used the method of individual cases, and the research material was obtained using the interview technique. The analysis of the research results showed that both the positive components of the family home (pro-social patterns presented by parents, good material base, mutual understanding of family members) and its negative elements (emotional coldness, fear of criticism, materialism) direct the pro-social activities undertaken by the surveyed volunteers. As a result of the research, several models of the family home that are conducive to undertaking voluntary activities have been developed. An important conclusion from the analyzes carried out is the confirmation of the fact that, despite its diversity, each of the family homes of the surveyed volunteers to some extent conditioned the decisions of the social worker to undertake voluntary activities.