Voluntary Groups Research Articles

Almost Everyone Loses Meaning in Life From Social Exclusion, but Some More Than the Others: A Comparison Among Victims, Voluntary, and Forced Rejecters

Social exclusion has been a major societal concern because it hinders the attainment of needs for belonging and relationship. While we know much about the effects of social exclusion on victims and perpetrators, there is limited insight regarding how different types of rejecters (voluntary vs. forced) might affect important outcomes. The purpose of this study is to bridge this gap and to examine how different types of social exclusion (forced and voluntary) influence meaning in the life of participants. To this end, we conducted two experiments using two social exclusion paradigms: the recall paradigm and the Cyberball game. The results of the two experiments were consistent. Both experiments revealed that (1) the meaning in the life of the victim group and the forced rejecter group (i.e., those who were forced to exclude others) was significantly lower than this of the control group and the voluntary rejecter group (i.e., those choosing to exclude others). There were no significant differences between the victim group and the forced rejecter group, and there were no significant differences between the voluntary rejecter group and the control group. These results reveal that social exclusion not only negatively affects the victims of exclusion but also reduces the meaning in the life of forced rejecters. These findings are specific, and they show that the types of will in exclusion can create differences in the effects of social exclusion on the rejecters.

Feminist Pandemic Pedagogies: Podcasting and the Study of Religion

In this article I will explore and share my pedagogical practices and experiences as a feminist scholar of religion, within the context of a voluntary postgraduate reading group, during the first nine months of the Covid-19 pandemic. The article is structured in two parts. The first part offers a reflection of the teaching approaches that inspired and enabled the production of a podcast about the study of religion from the perspective of black African students and scholars of religion. The second part conceptualizes the production of a podcast as a feminist pedagogical experiment and reflects on this process alongside feminist pedagogical principles. While the orientation of this article is tentative and reflexive, it advances the argument that because of the commitment to social justice that is inherent to feminist approaches to scholarship and pedagogy, feminist scholars are generally poised to work within the contexts of crisis. Therefore, within the context of the pandemic, feminist approaches to teaching and learning in the study of religion may yield insights that can contribute to the continued development of sustainable pedagogies that honor the fraught nature of these times for both scholars and students.

Thy will be done: Exploring the longitudinal rewards of religious group membership enactment during volunteering.

The volunteering literature is replete with studies revealing the health benefits of volunteering. This has led psychologists to question whether social processes may help deliver these benefits while also supporting sustained volunteering engagement. The Social Identity Approach (SIA) recognizes that volunteering takes place in groups and sheds light on these processes by providing insights into group dynamics. Specifically, recent work within the Social Cure tradition has revealed the dynamic relationship between volunteering and group identification, and how this can influence health and well-being. This study extends previous work by exploring whether the relationship is mediated by the extent to which volunteers feel able to enact their membership of a valued group (specifically their religious group) through their volunteering. People who volunteer with religiously motivated voluntary groups (N = 194) completed the same online survey twice, three months apart (T1/T2). For participants high in religiosity, T1 identification with their voluntary group positively predicted their sense of being able to enact the membership of their religious group through their voluntary work at T2, which in turn was a positive predictor of T2 mental health and volunteer engagement. The implications of these findings for both the theoretical literature and for voluntary organizations are discussed.

"Am I Making More of It Than I Should?": Reporting and Responding to Sexual Harassment.

Health professionals may face sexual harassment from patients, faculty, and colleagues. Medicine's hierarchy deters response to sexual harassment. Current evidence consists largely of quantitative data regarding the frequency and types of sexual harassment. More information is needed about the nature of the experience and how or why professionals choose to report or respond. We developed and administered a semistructured interview guide to elicit family medicine faculty and residents' experiences with sexual harassment and gender bias. Facilitators led a series of focus groups divided by faculty (N=28) and residents (N=24). We ensured voluntary consent and groups were audiotaped, transcribed and deidentified. We coded the transcripts using immersion-crystallization theory to identify emergent themes. Sexual harassment from patients and colleagues was described as witnessed or personally experienced by faculty and resident participants in 100% of the focus groups. Respondents identified the presence of mentors, clear reporting process and follow-up, history of good organizational response to reporting, and education and training as facilitators to reporting sexual harassment. Barriers to reporting included fear of retaliation, lack of trust of the system to respond, lack of clarity about "what counts," and confusion with the reporting process. It is important to capitalize on facilitators to reporting sexual harassment, starting with acknowledging the frequency of sexual harassment and gender discrimination. Addressing barriers to responding through education and training for our learners and faculty is critical. Clarifying the reporting process, having clear expectations for behavior, and a continuum of responses may help increase the frequency of reporting.

Voluntary Wheel Running Exercise Improves Aging-Induced Sarcopenia via Activation of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator-1α/Fibronectin Type III Domain-Containing Protein 5/Adenosine Monophosphate-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling Pathway.

PurposeIn this study, the protective effect of voluntary wheel running exercise on muscle loss and muscle weakness in gastrocnemius of old rats was investigated. The association of voluntary wheel exercise with the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α)/fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 5 (FNDC5)/adenosine monophosphate- activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression was also evaluated.MethodsSix-month-old and 22-month-old male rats were used for this experiment. The rats in voluntary wheel running exercise groups were performed wheel running for 2 months. Weight bearing test for walking strength, rotarod test for motor coordination and balance, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining for histological changes in the muscle tissues, Western blot analysis for PGC-1α, FNDC5, AMPK, immunofluorescence for VEGF were conducted.ResultsDecreased muscle mass, strength, and coordination due to aging were associated with a decrease in the PGC-1α/FNDC5/AMPK signaling pathway in the gastrocnemius. Voluntary wheel running exercise enhanced VEGF expression by activating the PGC-1α/FNDC5/AMPK signaling pathway, then increased muscle mass, strength, and coordination.ConclusionsIt has been suggested that voluntary wheel running exercise alleviates symptoms of urological diseases that are difficult to treat. Wheel running exercise is a good therapeutic strategy to prevent or treat aging-related sarcopenia.

Solidarity and Voluntarism Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Skin Cancer Screening for Blood Donors.

Many of the volunteer activities required to raise public awareness on skin cancer screening and prevention are supported by dermatological societies and volunteer dermatologists, and are framed by substantial voluntary groups, often not sufficiently credited for their contribution, including blood donors and Red Cross Samaritans. We herein propose that amid the ongoing pandemic, skin cancer screening and blood donations must not be disrupted with attention paid to patient safety foremost. Although efforts over the last decade have led to a significant reduction in skin cancer, ongoing activities have been suspended and, in many cases, disrupted since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread has created a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. International Health systems are burdened, and patients ignore symptoms and evade specialist visits due to contamination fear of coronavirus, resulting in a 68.61% reduction in skin cancer diagnoses. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has also major implications for blood transfusion. Currently, there are uncertain patterns of demand, and transfusion institutions need to plan for reductions in donations and loss of crucial staff because of sickness and public health restrictions. Supporting volunteer blood donors through voluntary skin cancer screening could be an excellent initiative, bringing people together, giving us the opportunity to abandon the illusion of power and admit our weakness to the ongoing pandemic. Most of us have not worked through pandemics before but it is time to embrace humanity and solidarity via volunteering, with no profit aims but with social goals of equal skin cancer screening opportunities of vitally important volunteer blood donors, encouraging blood donation. In light of a change in dermatology practice, investing in prevention strategies in public health and social protection is the mark of responsible policy action.

Group treatment experience in a brief psychiatry hospitlization unit

IntroductionJoseph Pratt, a sanatorium doctor, at the beginning of the 20th century began to organize groups of patients in order to transmit information about their illness, observing that those who came had a better evolution. In the twenties, Jacob L. Moreno, would make the leap towards mental health, transferring the group format to the treatment of mental disorders. At the same time, Lazell and Marsh began to carry out psychoeducational groups with admitted schizophrenic patients.ObjectivesPresent experience of a psychotherapeutic group in a brief psychiatry hospitalization unit.MethodsNon-directional, voluntary group, with daily frequency and 30 minutes duration. Between 8-15 patients participated. Participation in the group required compliance with 2 rules: respecting word turns and speaking from one’s own experience. The sessions were organized in three parts, 1. Opening of the group: the rules are remembered and we welcome new patients. 2. Group: dialogue between patients 3. Group closure: summary of the session and dismissal of discharge patients.ResultsThe following topics were addressed: - The experience of admission; traumatic vs restorative. - The difficulties they expected to encounter after discharge. - Aspects related to family bonding, between equals and couples. As difficulties we find: - The heterogeneity in the symptoms of the patients. - Voluntary participation in the group. - Conflicts reactive to non-compliance with the rules.ConclusionsGroup therapies in brief hospitalization units have great therapeutic potential.Conflict of interestNo significant relationships.

Factors Associated with Substance Use Disorder Treatment Completion, Rhode Island, USA, 2018

Introduction The successful retention of individuals with substance use disorders in treatment remains a challenge but is an important indicator of positive post-treatment outcomes. The aim of this study is to advance understanding of pre-admission factors associated with substance use treatment completion in Rhode Island. Methods Data for this longitudinal analysis are from the RI Behavioral Health On-Line Database (RI-BHOLD). The primary outcome of interest was substance use treatment completion defined as any planned discharge from treatment, including transfers to other facilities. Associations were assessed using generalized estimating equations (GEE) to account for the potential of repeated measures for the same individuals. Results Among the 7,351 clients discharged from a substance use treatment program in RI in 2018, the treatment completion rate was 58.1%. There was a positive relationship between the frequency of attendance of voluntary self-help groups and odds of treatment completion. Treatment completion rates were lower among those who reported use of opioids (AOR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.52-0.66) and other drugs (AOR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.44-0.62), compared to alcohol and for those with co-occurring mental health conditions (AOR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.76-0.94). Conclusions This study highlights the importance of social connectedness in substance use disorder treatment completion. Future research is needed to identify the characteristics of persons who are most likely to benefit from self-help groups and the optimal combination of treatment participation and attendance of self-help groups across a spectrum of disorder severity and community resources.

Effect of Voluntary Training after the Induction of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis on Some Myelin-Producing Proteins in Female C57BL/6 Mice

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of voluntary training period after the induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) on some myelin-producing proteins in C57BL/6 female mice. Methods: In this experimental study first 28 mice, which were 6-8 weeks old, were purchased and were randomly divided into three groups. Exercise activity (n=12), healthy control (n=8) and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) control (n=8). Voluntary exercise group did exercises, 1 hour, 5 days a week for 4 weeks after induction of EAE and having the clinical score one for two days in a row. 48 hours after final exercise section, the mice were killed and immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the expression of MBP and CNPase proteins. Using SPSS version 16 software, multiple analysis of variance and LSD post hoc test were used to examine the groups' data differences. Results: The results showed that the expression of both proteins as a result of voluntary exercise had a significant increase in the exercise group compared to the EAE control group ( p<0.05).( in White Matter: MBP, Wheel Running and Control EAE, P= .017; Wheel Running and Healthy Control, P= .001; CNPase, Wheel Running and Control EAE, P= .015; Wheel Running and Healthy Control, P= .000; in Gray Matter: MBP, Wheel Running and Control EAE, P= .000; Wheel Running and Healthy Control, P= .000; CNPase, Wheel Running and Control EAE, P= .005; Wheel Running and Healthy Control, P= .001. Conclusion: Voluntary exercise may have a positive effect on increasing myelination in treatment and control of MS.

Relationship between household income and socio-political capital in rural Vietnam: a panel quantile regression approach

ABSTRACT This study uses the Vietnam Access to Resources Household Survey (VARHS) data from 2008 to 2014 to analyse the relationship between socio-political capital and household income in rural Vietnam. We consider six types of socio-political capital (connections with others that create access to useful information and/or benefits) namely Communist Party membership, membership in mass organizations (MOs) and voluntary groups, connections with officials, financial assistance, and trust. Communist Party membership and financial assistance have significant positive effects on household income in the pooling, random, and fixed effects models and at all quantile levels. The effect of trust is also positive and significant in all models but only significant at high quantile levels. Whereas connections with officials show significantly positive effects in the pooling and random effects models and at most quantile levels, the effects of MOs and voluntary groups are negative and significant for some models.

Increased frequency of participation in civic associations and reduced depressive symptoms: Prospective study of older Japanese survivors of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake.

Few studies have examined whether changes in participation in civic associations can mitigate depressive symptoms among older disaster survivors. We examined prospectively the association between changes in participation in civic associations and changes in depressive symptoms among older survivors of the 2011 Great Eastern Japan Earthquake. We analyzed questionnaire-based survey data on pre- and post-disaster participation in civic associations and depressive symptoms compiled for 3567 respondents aged 65 years and above. Changes in these symptoms were assessed using a 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) as a continuous variable for 2010 and 2013. We investigated four types of civic associations: sports, hobby, voluntary groups, and senior citizens' clubs. Changes in participation were calculated by subtracting the participation frequency measured in 2010 from that measured in 2013. Applying 95% confidence intervals, we used linear regression models with imputation to estimate the age- and sex-adjusted and multivariate-adjusted standardized coefficients. The survivors' GDS scores increased by 0.13 points on average between the pre-disaster and post-disaster periods. Average changes in the participation frequencies of respondents in each group were respectively +0.36 days/year, -5.63 days/year, +0.51 days/year, and -1.45 days/year. Increased frequencies of participation in the sports and hobby groups were inversely associated with changes in GDS scores (B=-0.003, Cohen's f2=0.10, P=0.01 and B=-0.002, Cohen's f2=0.08, P=0.04, respectively). The associations did not differ depending on the experience of housing damage caused by the disaster. In addition, we did not observe a significant association between changes in participation frequencies for voluntary groups or senior citizens' clubs and changes in GDS scores after multivariable adjustment. Depressive symptoms of older adults post-disaster may be mitigated through increased frequency of participation in sports and hobby groups; yet, civic participation did not mitigate the adverse impact of disaster experiences on mental health.

Energy as a multidisciplinary concept in K-12 education – a case study

Although one of key ideas behind the introduction of STEM (or STEAM) as a unifying concept, is to emphasize the interdisciplinary character of many real world problems, there is a non-trivial educational challenge in exceeding existing subject boundaries and implementing multidisciplinary activities into the classroom. The present case study covers the design, implementation and evaluation of a multidisciplinary unit in a Finnish lower secondary school, grade 9. The entire multidisciplinary unit was organized around the central concept of energy, and the present study focuses on an activity within that unit that had as theme how energy can be used to analyze both living and non-living systems. Evaluation of the activity was done with pre and post student questionnaires, analyzing the students’ written poster presentations and focus group interviews done with a voluntary group of students after the whole unit. Our results show both the challenges and the possible gains of working in a multidisciplinary way. However, to succeed serious thought has to be invested in both identifying core concepts that gain by being analyzed in an interdisciplinary way, and in the design of appropriate learning activities around these core concepts. Our study is as an effort in this direction.

Social Participation across Mid- and Later-Life: Evidence from a Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Despite the benefits of social participation for individuals and communities, little is known about how social participation varies over the life course. Drawing upon data collected between 1957 and 2011 by the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (22,023 observations from a cohort of 6,627), this study provides four valuable results. One, I find evidence of five distinct social participation trajectories; the majority of which demonstrate social disengagement as individuals age. Two, these decreases were primarily attributable to declines in meeting friends and group exercise. Three, the activities most likely to predict being a part of more-desirable trajectories were cultural event attendance, voluntary group membership, and joining charity groups. Lastly, I find that seven different types of high school activities were each associated with greater social activity counts, decades later. In total, these results highlight systematic differences in social participation trajectories; and suggest that age-graded participation changes are highly dependent on the underlying social activities.

Holiday Club Programmes in Northern Ireland: The Voices of Children and Young People.

In Northern Ireland, nearly 30% of children are thought to be at risk of going hungry in the summer holidays when they are unable to access free school meals. Community groups, voluntary groups, local authorities, and faith groups have responded to this concern by developing and delivering holiday programmes that enable children from low-income families to take part in activities and access food. The current study used purposive sampling to investigate children’s and young people’s views of holiday provision, from across three holiday clubs, in Northern Ireland. Both primary school children (n = 34; aged 4–11) and secondary school children (n = 31; aged 12–17) showed high levels of awareness of poverty and food insecurity and associated pressures and stresses on households. Importantly, children and young people did not feel stigmatised about attending holiday provision, suggesting a positive and inclusive culture towards holiday club attendance. Children reported that they enjoyed the range of activities provided at holiday clubs and reported that attendance improved their self-confidence, especially for some older children, who acted as peer mentors to younger attendees, helped them to develop new skills, and provided them with opportunities to socialise with peers in a safe environment, out with their normal social groupings in school. Older children showed a high level of shrewdness and knowledge of sectarian divides in communities but spoke positively about how different religious or cultural backgrounds did not matter in terms of meeting and making new friends in holiday club settings. In terms of food provision, the findings of this study suggest that further work needs to be done to support children to access and eat healthy, nutritious food.

Experiences of Volunteers Supporting Parents Following a Fatal Fetal Anomaly Diagnosis.

Ireland has had a reliance on voluntary groups to provide peer-to-peer bereavement support. The aim of this study was to explore volunteers', within these voluntary groups, experiences of supporting parents following a fatal fetal anomaly diagnosis. Purposive sampling was used to recruit volunteers (n = 17) and face-to-face interviews undertaken. NVivo12 was utilized to assist in the thematic analysis of the data. Five themes; "motivation for altruistic acts," "being challenged," "value of education and training," "supporting volunteers to support others," and "it is not a sprint, it is a marathon" were identified. Volunteers felt comfortable in their peer-support role but found the lack of knowledge regarding newly implemented termination of pregnancy (TOP) services challenging. The importance of education/training was identified, emphasizing the need for collaboration with health care professionals and other voluntary organizations for support. The findings illustrate the need for collaborative working between health care professionals and volunteers to assist them in supporting bereaved parents.

The Actual State of Group Cohesion in Voluntary Groups

The Actual State of Group Cohesion in Voluntary Groups

Recommendation Algorithms and Disinformation

Recommendation algorithms deeply influence human and internet interaction. While its use may differ somewhat among the various social media and technology companies, it mostly uses “implicit feedback to track clicks, views, and other measurable user behaviors.” This information is then used as part of the recommendation algorithm, “which has the ultimate power on deciding who sees what content and when.” This algorithm model is mostly utilized by companies like Facebook. Overall, the algorithm is tweaked with the end goal of producing the most profits from the user’s behavior. There have been countless stories written on the impact of these algorithms and how they are used. But, more specifically, what these algorithms do is promote a psychological effect on the end-user. That is why more and more stories have focused on the effect of recommendation algorithms and disinformation or the promotion of “fake news.” That is because the algorithm is set in a way where it takes away the ability for users to see any diversity of information and focuses on the confirmation bias that is fed from the user’s preference. This Paper proposes to create a working group consisting of social media companies that will dissect and showcase how recommendation algorithms are used and how users interact with the algorithm. By having a voluntary working group, discussions can be reviewed on how current legislation and regulations can help to dissuade the spread of disinformation meanwhile increasing the end user experience. The paper will, in particular, help to explain the development of these algorithms and look at ways to solve this issue. It will take a look at the current regulatory landscape to include explanations of section 230 and any First Amendment issues. Lastly, it will discuss the recommendation and how this will be effective for purposes of combating disinformation.

Why Does a One-Party Regime Promote Civil Society? The Case of China's Homeowner Associations

Conventional wisdom holds that one-party regimes are intrinsically hostile to civil society because organized citizens can threaten the regime's political dominance. Contrary to this view, we argue that autocracies may tolerate, and sometimes even actively promote, genuinely voluntary civil groups when those groups can help the state efficiently resolve intra-societal distributional conflicts arising from economic modernization. Using China’s homeowner associations as a case, we demonstrate that local governments are more likely to promulgate policies that encourage the development of self-organized homeowner associations when citizens frequently call upon the authorities to intervene and adjudicate their disputes with property development and management companies. Additional analyses, including an instrumental variables estimation, suggest that the relationship is likely to be causal. These findings highlight the competitive aspect of civil society organizations and offer a more nuanced interpretation of their possible linkages with the political authority.

The Value of Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance

Based on published estimates of its price elasticity of demand and of tax wedges, as well as the method of revealed preference, I estimate that the annual social value of ESI is about $1.5 trillion beyond what policyholders, their employers, and taxpayers pay for it. The private component of that value, which in some respects is the other side of “job lock,” derives in part from group plans, with the group determined by many characteristics other than the demand for healthcare. With voluntary groups formed this way, adverse risk selection is reduced, the groups can be effective at obtaining substantial discounts and rebates for their members, and division of labor employed in shopping for health providers. ESI is also a mechanism for employers to act on their incentives for a healthy and productive workforce. External effects include tax externalities (in both directions), encouraging work, and easing government expenditure obligations by helping to prevent people from going without health insurance.

Changes in Retired Men’s Lives after Participating in Community Voluntary Groups: Promoting Social Participation

Changes in Retired Men’s Lives after Participating in Community Voluntary Groups: Promoting Social Participation