Relationships between volunteering functions and vocational identity in emerging adult volunteers

Abstract

Volunteering can be a means of identity development in emerging adulthood and it can provide a protective environment for vocational identity formation. The aims of our study were two-fold: (1) to investigate vocational identity statuses of student emerging adult volunteers (N = 385, 75.1 per cent females) and (2) to analyze how these statuses are linked to volunteering functions. First, we classified volunteers into six vocational identity statuses. Second, we found that volunteers in achievement and moratorium statuses scored highest on most of the volunteering functions as they are actively exploring their vocational alternatives. Implications for research and practice are discussed.