Volunteerism Research Articles

Engagement and access to support for oral health, substance use, smoking and diet by people with severe and multiple disadvantage: A qualitative study.

Severe and multiple disadvantage (SMD) is the combined effect of experiencing homelessness, substance use and repeat offending. People experiencing SMD have high burden of physical and mental health issues. Oral health is one of the most common health problems in people experiencing SMD which interacts with substance use, smoking, and unhealthy diet to create a cycle of harm and disadvantage. However, burden of these conditions is worsened by poor access to health services. This study aimed to identify pathways to improve engagement and access to health interventions, for oral health, substance and alcohol use, smoking and diet. Using a qualitative methodology, interviews/focus groups were conducted with: (a) people experiencing SMD in Newcastle Upon Tyne/Gateshead; and (b) frontline staff, volunteer workers, policy makers and commissioners from London, Plymouth and Newcastle Upon Tyne/Gateshead. Data was analysed iteratively using thematic analysis. Twenty-eight people experiencing SMD (age range: 27-65 years; 21% females) and 78 service providers (age range: 28-72 years, 63% females) were interviewed or included in focus groups. Data were organized into two overarching factors: barriers to accessing health interventions and improving access to health interventions. Barriers included: wider disadvantages of people experiencing SMD leading to low priority for support for oral health and associated health behaviours, psychosocial factors, waiting period and physical space. Factors that improved access to interventions included: positive relationships between service provider and person experiencing SMD, including a support worker, location of services and outreach services. The findings suggest the need for flexibility in offering services for oral health and related health behaviours for people experiencing SMD. Training health care providers and co-developing services with people with lived experience of SMD can help prevent (re)stigmatization. Systems-based approach to address factors on an environmental, organizational, inter-personal and individual level is needed. The results from this study could be extrapolated to other health intervention such as vaccinations and sexual and reproductive health.

Does Universal Health Coverage Include the Caregivers? A Mixed Method Study on Accessibility and Out-of-pocket Expenditure for Healthcare Services by Accredited Social Health Activists of North India

Abstract Background: Despite the load of voluntary work done by Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), they are not recognized and are not provided any health security measures. The current study aims to estimate the proportion of income spent on healthcare services by ASHA and her family in the past 6 months and to explore their access to healthcare services. Methods: A mixed-method study was done among ASHAs under one community health center in North India in 2022. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on the healthcare preferences and expenses of the ASHAs and their family. In the second phase, focused group discussions were conducted among the ASHAs in groups of 6–8 to collect data on their experiences with healthcare services. One of the co-investigators was the moderator, another was conducting audio recordings and taking notes. Results: Eighteen ASHAs were included in the study, and 38.8% of them had health insurance. For preventive services, they preferred community health centers (CHCs) (83.3%). Health expenses in the past 6 months were about 12.18% of their family income. The focused group discussion was based on themes including ASHAs’ expectations from the system they are working with, their healthcare-seeking behavior, and both of its effects on their performance in the implementation of the target-oriented program at the ground level. Conclusion: Being part of the health system, the community health worker is aware of the quality of services provided. Not preferring the public health system was reported due to disrespect in the system and unavailability of some curative services.

“Girls doing a big job” in diaspora: cosmopolitan minority and making modern Chinese women associations in white Australia

ABSTRACT During Australia's “White Australia” policy (1901-1973), Chinese women in Sydney defied limitations through voluntary work. Starting with social clubs and local relief funds, their efforts culminated in the 1954 Chinese Women's Association of Australia (CWAA). This study explores how these women navigated inclusion and exclusion by leveraging their voluntary efforts. Fundraising, cultural events, and community activities became platforms for them to express their evolving identities and reshape social dynamics. The paper argues that cultural practices empowered women-led Chinese voluntary organizations in the diaspora. It introduces the concept of a “cosmopolitan minority,” where “Chineseness” is performed identities transcending race or ethnicity alone. Cosmopolitan life allowed these women to leverage intercultural understanding for navigating their complex situation and fostering resilience. Through collaboration and community building, they strategically performed their heritage, ultimately shaping associations and spaces to assert agency and define their ideal lives within the diaspora.

Why Cooperation in Volunteer Work Can Fail Despite the Best Intentions: Conflicting Ideas in Narrations From Volunteers

Why Cooperation in Volunteer Work Can Fail Despite the Best Intentions: Conflicting Ideas in Narrations From Volunteers

Mobility power and society: Managing migrant workers among Chinese multinational companies in Europe

This paper examines how Chinese multinational companies manage labour mobility, with a focus on the sourcing and circulation of labour. Drawing on secondary sources, this study argues that labour mobility is a central issue in employment relations in China and for the Chinese MNCs operating abroad. It presents three employment archetypes that illustrate the varied strategies Chinese firms use to manage labour mobility within China’s societal constraints. Adaptive diffusion of these employment archetypes is not evident among Chinese MNCs in Europe. Instead, Chinese MNCs strategize to secure continued supplies of workers, replace migrant sources that become undesirable or inaccessible, and mitigate disruptions caused by voluntary labour turnover. Several mechanisms enable Chinese MNCs to manage their overseas workforces to maintain the employer dependency like that of migrant workers in China. These mechanisms include internal firm transfer arrangements administered directly by the employer; bilateral labour agreements negotiated through government interventions; and international and local worker deployment mediated through employment agencies. By highlighting the conflicts and negotiations underlying the management of labour mobility among leading Chinese MNCs in Europe, the paper provides an analytical framework for understanding the diversity of Chinese MNCs in structuring employment relations in an increasingly interconnected global labour market.

Transformative Learning Among Organ Procurement Organization Donor Family Volunteers.

Introduction: Some family members who previously made the decision to donate a family member's organs support the organ procurement organization (OPO) through volunteer work. Volunteers were asked to describe their family's organ donation story to educate the general and medical communities about organ donation. This study explored the transformative learning experienced by volunteers during and following the organ donation consent process and throughout their volunteer work. Methods/Approach: A narrative inquiry research methodology and transformative learning theoretical framework was used and 6 volunteers were recruited to participate. Two semistructured virtual interviews were conducted. Interviews were transcribed, radically reduced, and subjected to holistic-content and holistic-form narrative analysis. Findings: Participants experienced strong emotional responses during and after the loss of their family member, characterized as a period of disorientation, which lasted for an extended period preventing transformative learning. After the OPO contacted participants regarding the opportunity to volunteer, participants experienced a period of self-examination when they reengaged with the topic of organ donation. Critical reflection occurred through the act of storytelling about their family's organ donation story during their volunteer work. Storytelling to the community facilitated making meaning of their loss and transformations. Conclusion: Volunteering for an OPO played an important role by initiating self-examination and critical reflection of their prior assumptions. Through storytelling, participants reflected on their roles and made meaning of their organ donation experiences. The act of inviting donor families to reengage with the topic of organ donation through volunteer work fostered positive permanent meaningful transformations.

Luci e ombre nella riforma del lavoro sportivo

The Legislative Decree No. 36/2021 has had a significant impact on the regulation of labour relations in the sport sector, overcoming, among other things, the traditional legislative disregard for amateur work. The reform increases labour protections for individuals who professionally engage in sports activities, but at the same time aims to respect the specific nature of sports as an autonomous order, especially when it comes to the economic burden of sports organizations. The article starts by analysing the new concept of worker in the sector, which spans both professional and amateur sports. Then, the article proceeds by addressing the issue of classification between subordination and self-employment. The reform confirms the traditional dichotomy between professionals, which are subject to a stringent presumption of subordinate work, and amateurs, which in most cases are self-employed under article 409, No. 3 of the Italian Civil Procedure Code, with limited employment protections. In the final section the article briefly addresses the issue of voluntary work in the sport sector.

No representation without taxation: Which political parties support contributivism and how?

ABSTRACT Contributivism refers to the principle of conditioning rights to political participation on economic and other contributions. Access to citizenship and voting rights for immigrants often requires ‘doing something for’ the host society, which is usually measured in material terms. The limited research on ‘contributivism’ to date has focused on laws, norms, and public opinion. Little is known about the politics of contributivism, the positions of different parties, and the reasons for supporting or opposing it. This article analyses parliamentary debates on voting and citizenship rights in four European countries – Italy, UK, France, and Germany – since 2010 to identify the different interpretations that European legislators attach to the concept of ‘contributivism’. The discourse analysis reveals that a range of contributions are identified as prerequisites for participation: economic contributions, such as tax and pension payments, knowledge, and labour skills; social contributions, such as boosting demographic growth; civic contributions, such as voluntary work; and symbolic contributions, such as winning Olympic medals. The findings indicate that contributivist frames are typically advanced by centre-left and progressive parties to justify extending the franchise to immigrants, and are often contrasted with ethno-identitarian views of citizenship. Consequently, this study suggests a shift towards pragmatist arguments and reciprocity-based understandings of contributivism among centre-left parties.

Nursing Students' Volunteer Experiences of Interacting with Children Receiving Pediatric Palliative Care: A Qualitative Study.

Pediatric palliative care refers to active, holistic care that provides support not only for families but also for the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs of pediatric patients with severe life-threatening diseases. Nursing students' volunteer work for pediatric patients requiring palliative care is a unique and special experience with which to understand them as prospective medical personnel and that allows them to directly experience and feel the needs and reality related to emotional support. This study aimed to explore the experiences of nursing students who volunteer in pediatric in palliative care settings. The participants, selected through purposive sampling, were 20 nursing undergraduate students who volunteered at a pediatric palliative care medical center or a private community organization providing a support program for pediatric patients receiving palliative care. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted, and data were analyzed using content analysis. Data were collected from 7 August to 27 November 2023. Five major categories were derived: (1) meeting with children-the process of facing and overcoming challenges; (2) the journey of changing through interactions with children; (3) parting with the child-anticipation, shock, and remembering; (4) new insights into pediatric palliative care; (5) and growing as a nursing student. The volunteer activities enabled the nursing students to interact with pediatric patients undergoing palliative care outside the sphere of clinical education. It increased these students' awareness of palliative care and provided an opportunity for self-reflection and growth. It also provided an opportunity to improve empathy and provide emotional support.

Voluntary Work for Children in the Republic of Croatia

In today's uncertain world events, it is necessary to promote volunteering from early education. Therefore, it is important and necessary to introduce such extracurricular activities from the first grade of primary school. In the Republic of Croatia, there are various humanitarian organizations that gladly accept any kind of help. Therefore, we need to find teachers who will use their influence to motivate children for humanitarian action and make them aware of the importance of empathy and helping others on a daily basis. This study shows the activities of first-graders to fourth-graders of primary school in the Republic of Croatia. The school curricula in 21 Croatian counties were randomly analysed, and the results are represented in this study. The results show that teachers who organize volunteer activities for their students have a greater level of agreement with the statements that a positive attitude of teachers about volunteering encourages volunteer activities in school. It also helps to enrich the school prevention program by establishing a volunteer club within the school, where volunteering should be encouraged in the classroom class. Volunteering should be encouraged at the school's Student Council, and volunteering should be planned in the school curriculum for participants who do not organize volunteer activities for their students. It can be concluded that teachers have positive attitudes about volunteering within the school. However, participants show significant differences in attitudes regarding gender and personal experience of volunteering.

The association between the type of offline social participation and digital literacy among Korean older adults: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundPoor social connections are associated with poor digital literacy. Poor digital literacy could induce poor outcomes in daily life or health status, especially among older adults. This study aimed to investigate the effect of social participation based on its absolute magnitude on digital literacy and to confirm the well-known fact that social participations are good for digital literacy is applicable regardless of activity types in a sample of older Korean adults.MethodsA total of 9,297 adults aged 65 years or older from the 2020 National Survey of Older Koreans were analyzed. All data were self-reported. Poor digital literacy was defined by limited usage of digital devices. Offline social participation was evaluated using seven different social activities: senior community activities, learning activities, religious activities, volunteer work, leisure, political groups, and club activities. Multivariable logistic regression analysis with covariate adjustment was used for the analysis.ResultsEngaging in more than two types of social participation was associated with higher digital literacy: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.965, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.567–2.465 for two types of participation, and aOR 2.558, 95% CI 2.040–3.208 for more than three types of participation. Additionally, social participation occurring less than once a month and most types of offline activities were associated with improved digital literacy. However, senior community activities were negatively associated with digital literacy (aOR 0.762; 95% CI 0.681–0.852).ConclusionsIn this sample of older Korean adults, it was found that the lower the social participation, the poorer the digital literacy. This association may induce the isolation of older adults from societies especially for older adults with senior community activities.

Who We Are and How We Talk About Volunteering: Older Adult Volunteers' Perspective.

Guided by the Communicative Ecology Model of Successful Aging (CEMSA), we conducted an interview study with 25 older adult volunteers (M = 71.8 years old, SD = 5.19) to explore how they discursively negotiated their identities and communicated about volunteering during the aging process. The conventional view of old age and aging tends to be negative, however, our findings from the older adult volunteers' accounts revealed positive themes regarding their self-categorization and volunteering experiences. These themes include: (a) positive representations of self and other older adult volunteers, (b) transcendence of negative perceptions of old age and aging through volunteering involvement, and (c) communication about engaging in selection, optimization, and compensation in managing volunteer work. Our findings carry significant theoretical and practical implications, underscoring how positive self-categorization and adaptive management of volunteering remarkably contribute to building an ecology of successful aging.

Impact of family financial pressure on voluntary work performances OCB & CWBs: Mediating role of family motivation and self-control

This study aims to highlight the determinants and pathways that trigger employee functional and detrimental voluntary work performances i.e. OCB & CWBs. It is unclear whether family financial pressure is functional or nonfunctional for generating voluntary work behaviors. This study spotlights the paradoxical nature of family financial pressure. We theorize that family financial pressure is a double-edged sword that can produce positive OCB and negative CWBs employee voluntary work behaviors. We have collected data from manufacturing and service sector employees working in different organizations in Pakistan. This study found that family financial pressure is the salient determinant that can generate both functional voluntary work performance OCB and counterproductive voluntary work performance CWBs through unique pathways i.e. family motivation, state self-control failure. Family motivation acts as a partial mediator between family financial pressure and OCB and state self-control failure also partially mediated the link between family financial pressure and CWBs. The practical and theoretical implications are also discussed in this study.

Reimagining Meaningful Data Work through Citizen Science

Data work is often completed by crowdworkers, who are routinely dehumanized, disempowered, and sidelined. We turn to citizen science to reimagine data work, highlighting collaborative relationships between citizen science project managers and volunteers. Though citizen science and traditional crowd work entail similar forms of data work, such as classifying or transcribing large data sets, citizen science relies on volunteer contributions rather than paid data work. We detail the work citizen science project managers did to shape volunteer experiences: aligning science goals, minimizing barriers to participation, engaging communities, communicating with volunteers, providing training and education, rewarding contributions, and reflecting on volunteer work. These management strategies created opportunities for meaningful work by cultivating intrinsic motivation and fostering collaborative work relationships but ultimately limited participation to specific data-related tasks. We recommend management tactics and task design strategies for creating meaningful work for "invisible collar" workers, an understudied class of labor in CSCW.

A Systematic Literature Review of Teaching Employability: A focus on soft skills

Employability skills are important to be successful in any job in the job market. Colleges and universities should focus on teaching these skills to students to prepare them for the world of work. There are an abundance of studies that have highlighted the skills gap. This paper aims to bring together the literature to review how these skills are best taught to students. Five Databases - SocIndex, Education Resources Information Centre, British Education Index, Education Abstracts, and Education Research Complete - were thoroughly reviewed. Papers on teaching, training or learning of soft, transferable, employability, life, leadership or management skills from the years 2015-2023 were gathered. Results showed that certain classroom activities and games can be used to teach certain skills to the students. Part-time or full-time employment, internships and volunteer work also lead to development of skills such as leadership, communication, and social skills. Higher educational institutions can hence employ the pedagogical methods and approaches mentioned in these studies to teach employability skills to students.

Varieties of climate activism: assessing public support for mainstream and unorthodox climate action in the United Kingdom

Abstract Is the UK public willing to financially support environmental organizations that adopt disruptive tactics (museum and art gallery protests, sporting event disruptions, and traffic stoppages), as opposed to orthodox tactics (litigation, lobbying, and research and education)? Using a conjoint choice experiment (N = 1,023; Nobs = 10,230), we asked respondents’ willingness to donate £25 to hypothetical environmental organizations that differ in terms of (1) advocacy tactics, (2) expenditure on administrative overheads, (3) representation of women on their boards, (4) organizational age, (5) organizational size, (6) number of volunteers, and (7) revenue from citizen donations. We find respondents’ willingness to donate diminishes when organizations adopt disruptive tactics. These results hold across party preferences, ideology, generation, location, and environmental policy attitudes. Further, respondents are willing to donate to organizations that rely on donations from the general public, have low overheads, are supported by volunteer labor, and provide representation to women on their boards.

The Many Care Worlds a Butterfly Crosses

This article explores the theme of heroes and villains in relation to the conservation of the North American monarch butterfly. The monarch butterfly is a migratory insect that performs an annual four-thousand-kilometer journey across Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Through its travels, the at-risk insect connects and disconnects humans, revealing tensions between the different actors participating in its survival across its North-South geographies. In the North, conservation relies on the voluntary care work of butterfly amateurs who recreate monarch habitat, rear and care for the insect at home, and contribute economically and affectively to habitat protection. In the South, the conservation model is experienced by Indigenous and mestizo communities as a top-down imposition restricting their traditional livelihoods. Residents of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve contest their framing as nature trespassers, while they carry the political, affective, and physical labor of conserving a disappearing insect. They too care for this butterfly but with an emphasis on its forest relations. Based on ethnographic data collected among these two often-opposed conservation communities, this article explores the ontological questions raised by these hero and villain dynamics around radically different ideas of what caring for this butterfly means. The exploration of one insect and two care worlds intersects with the “one planet, many worlds” debate in a colonial context. By examining the tensions between these opposed care worlds, the essay illustrates how a disappearing butterfly constitutes and confronts distinct perceptions of the urgency of caring for nature.

How volunteering shapes immigrants’ social identity: insights from foreign-born formal and informal volunteers

This study explores how formal versus informal volunteering is related to immigrants’ identities in the US. We analyse 24 semi-structured interviews to investigate the identity-related influences of immigrant volunteering within and outside nonprofits’ auspices. We base our data analysis on the theoretical framework of individual mobility and a conceptual framework consisting of social identity theory and role identity theory. While past research has addressed how voluntary work affects immigrants’ social identity, we offer a comparative outlook by investigating how the associations differ for formal versus informal volunteering. Our findings show that immigrants who volunteer formally apply their immigrant identity to emphasise the integrative qualities of their volunteer role in US society, and that immigrants who volunteer informally apply their volunteer role towards the preservation of their immigrant identity.

로버스카우트의 초·중등학교 연계 봉사활동 사례 연구: 로버스카우트 제도의 교육봉사활동으로서의 가능성 탐색

Objectives This study aims to explore the potential of the Rover Scout program as an educational volunteer activity by analyzing the experiences of university students who are Rover Scouts affiliated with the Korea Scout Association. These students participated in volunteer activities, guiding students during school field trips in ele-mentary and secondary schools. Methods To achieve this, a qualitative case study was conducted on the volunteer activities of university students who are Rover Scouts. These activities were carried out in collaboration with elementary and secondary schools under the jurisdiction of a local educational office (both entities are anonymized as A Association and A Educational Office, respectively). In-depth interviews and participant observations were conducted with five university stu-dents and graduates who voluntarily continued to perform over 100 hours of volunteer work for more than a year, even after fulfilling their graduation requirements. Results The participants gained diverse experiences in guiding students during activities outside the classroom, which were often in unstable environments. Due to the systematic volunteer management system centered around A Association, the participants were able to sustain their volunteer activities for an extended period, which enhanced their understanding of students and nurtured their aspirations to become teachers. However, they also faced challenges, such as a lack of support from their universities and the absence of clear boundaries regarding the role of Rover Scouts in volunteer work. Conclusions The Rover Scout activities, as analyzed in this study, were consistent with the purposes and content of educational volunteer activities. Moreover, these activities contributed to developing essential skills and expe-riences, such as knowledge related to organizing field trips and managing student behavior, which are crucial for teachers but difficult to acquire through traditional teacher training programs. Based on these findings, the study suggests implications for improving university volunteer programs and the Rover Scout system to enhance the quality of volunteer activities.

Perspectives on intersectoral collaboration and citizen participation in community-based prevention

Abstract Background Challenges in healthcare, such as rising healthcare costs, shortages of healthcare staff, and health disparities, have made many countries focus on intersectoral collaboration (IC) and citizen participation (CP) in community-based prevention (CBP) and health promotion (HP). Previous research on IC and CP has addressed the importance of exchanging perspectives to arrive at a shared vision and ambition. Our study is part of a long-term action research project conducted in two neighborhoods in the Netherlands. It aims to provide insight into stakeholders’ perspectives on IC and CP in CBP and HP to facilitate building partnerships. Methods Data collection takes place from March to June 2024. As part of a Q-study, we perform post-sort interviews. The Q-methodology is based on sorting statements concerning various aspects of IC and CP in CBP and HP (e.g., roles and tasks, involvement of citizens, communication, perceived barriers, etc.). We aim to include 40-50 participants from the aforementioned neighborhoods with diverse backgrounds. Participants sort 40 statements (Q-set) into a fixed-scaled framework ranging from -4 (disagree) to + 4 (agree). The interview is about individual sorting and perspectives on their own role within the collaboration. Results So far, the results of 10 participants with backgrounds in health care, social work, sports, local authority, volunteer work, and public health have been analyzed.Preliminary data synthesis shows six themes concerning shared purpose, collaboration partners, social collaboration competencies, personal motivation, conditions, and collaboration organization. Conclusions The preliminary themes overlap with findings from previous research. We will adapt existing models to reflect on our findings and enrich the literature with new themes or insights in the specific context. The interviews will help interpret the Q-sorts and develop follow-up actions in the action research projects in the participating neighborhoods. Key messages • Insights in stakeholders’ perspectives are valuable for building local collaborative partnerships. • Shared purpose, collaboration partners, social collaboration competencies, personal motivation, conditions, and collaboration organization are themes of interest to intersectoral collaboration.