Research Report
3.3. Administration of Research. 7
4.1. Volunteering Profiling: Economic Indicators and Rates of Volunteering. 8
Abstract
Voluntary and the social process are vital to the current democratic state of a country like the US, in their duty as service providers for the community and personal wellbeing, a good number of them are disadvantaged. The voluntary groups have been known to arise from good pasts to offer social and allied services, community companies have a great duty I the community where chances to volunteer are beneficial. Research shows that social involvement in voluntary processes has great benefits and that people take part due to varied reasons. This paper will look at these issues among others with the help of questionnaires and surveys
Research Report
1. Introduction
This section offers a contextual background to the study by offering it a historical view as well as the prevailing situation of volunteering in the US. The US has a past of varied volunteer action. Books have been written about the American peasant society focuses on the practice of volunteering which is seen as important in the keeping of a social fabric of the American society until the 1950s and 60s. Surely, voluntary and community civic involvement have been vital in medical and welfare charity allocation in the 18th century and have added to the finding of the present independent US in 20th century. There was a strong increase in voluntary processes in social unity and cultural nationalism in the end of 19th century as well as the rural communities (National Committee on Volunteering, 2002, 104).
In the 60s, the community development in the urban regions has grown with backing from the state commissions. The volunteering model took shape in the 1990s with the creation of a resource center that was targeted at elevating citizenship and social entrepreneurship. The community and volunteering was part of the research and study.
Bodies were built so as to enable and advance active citizenship. At present the volunteer agency is engaged in volunteer policies in company advancement, volunteer advancement and infrastructure advancement.
2. Review of Literature
According to the UNDP in their report, volunteerism is a broad involvement in governance and advancement of equitable results for individuals. Volunteer procedure is vital in the life aspects, with the social, human and cultural having positive relations with volunteering.
Volunteering in the social process refers to the traditions of engagement, trust, solidarity and reciprocity which are present in every society. This mobilization of the social capital involves the recognition, facilitation, interacting and advancement (Pansieri, 2003:1).
2.1. Volunteering
This is a vital activity which involves free choice and no remuneration and benefits that is way above a person’s family set up (Zappala, 2000). According to research, volunteering ranges from involvement in service delivery in welfare structures in leisure type processes. This may take place in community and voluntary sectors.
Volunteering is categorized as formal or informal: formal being processes taking place in a company while informal occurring between people (Lukka and Ellis, 2001, 92). Volunteer report underscores the variation in US and has noted the contribution of informal and formal volunteerism in the social life.
Despite the variation in volunteer efforts and reasoning taking part in contemporary America, studies have shown that involvement in volunteer processes have gone down with the rise in participation considering that people are getting integrated in a community and high forms of trust in the set ups. The levels of involvement have on the other hand gone down due to the varied constraints. Unemployment allows more people to get involved in volunteering.
For a company, volunteering can help in the acquisition of more personnel. Young volunteers desire action and not committee, with people aiming to use their time to appeal and not being part of a company. Additionally, the volunteer assisted in easing the pressure from the paid workers. Conclusively, volunteering is beneficial where people improve their involvement with a community hence helping to elevate associations and trust.
2.2. Social Capital Theory
This theory was brought about by Judson Hanifin terming it as tangible aspects that add to the daily lives of individuals (Hanifin, 1916, 130). Considering that the rural areas, which he was involved with, lacked close relations it was the duty and association that met the social desires and advantages of the community (Hanifin, 1916, 130). Putnam (2000, 19) also looked at social aspects in research and policy advancement in America focused on the association between people, their attributes and trust. This is vital as it makes it possible to sort out issues, cooperate and advance. The theory involves networking, variation, involvement, response, norms among others.
Figure 1: The Social Capital Framework (Boeck et al, 2006, 1)
3. Methodology
3.1. Research Design
The main focus of this research is to acquire a better understanding of the experience of volunteer involvement and its contribution to social capital. The research is composed of a mixed method focus where qualitative research using interviews was applied for advancement of social capital tool to estimate the range that volunteering helped social capital. The mixed methods are valid methods and have helped to connect qualitative and quantitative research. It is attributed to be a an analysis of quantitative and qualitative data in a research which are acquire as one and are used in varied phase of research (Creswell et al, 2003, 212). It meets the benefits of outcomes and maximizes on validity. The method is meant to add depth and comprehension as well as representing the needs of the minority.
3.2. Recruitment
With the help of a Volunteer Center, recruitment has been vital in the recruitment of volunteers that are involved in the interviews with a sample of 18 volunteers; nine females and nine males and 10 company representative; five female and male.
3.3. Administration of Research
A phenomenological method was applied in the interview process to address the social process in the volunteer experience from the view point of volunteers and companies representatives. Extensive interviews are undertaken in public settings and took two hours. The process was done in a conversational manner with no judgment. It focused on matters of intentions, experiences and motivations to be part.
3.4. Data Analysis
This section involves enquiring from the volunteers and the company representatives to state their experiences in the processes. It is possible to look at volunteering as an experience that adds onto the perception of a person and volunteer social for the people taking part (Cresswell, 2003, 200).
After the interview data analysis, there was a fifteen questionnaire which was advanced and applied a computer managed survey with volunteers. 14 indicators were used from the social model which brought about 15 statements. They composed of community spirit, trust, sense of belonging, involvement, courage among others. A scale of the most satisfied to the least satisfied was used.
3.5. Validity
The research was assessed based on its validity where four volunteers were told to comment on the relevance, applicability, misunderstanding and instructions of the process.
4. Results
4.1. Volunteering Profiling: Economic Indicators and Rates of Volunteering
There over 5000 people that is unemployed in America with a big portion of them being long term unemployed. In the 2006 census, a big portion of the volunteering was noted to be in charitable centers. The church and the political had the biggest numbers.
4.2. Salesforce
This is a system used to note, identify and back volunteer programmes and match volunteer skills. It is applied to strategize and offer relevant service delivery in a place. The following is information that is applied to record salesforce information and is composed of gender, age and registration identities:
It is shown that women are more bound to register as volunteer when compared to men. Most men who are unemployed are fast joining these chances to use their skills as well as network for employment.
Source: (Tarrant, 2012)
Here the number of females registered to volunteer is higher than the males over a period of time.
In terms of age, there has been an increase in the age group 16-25 from 2008 to 2011. This may be connected to marketing, promotional efforts and project efforts. The highest involvement is noted from the 36-49 years age group. As shown below.
Source: (Tarrant, 2012)
The number of people who registered to vote in 2008 went from 130 to 251 in 2009 and an added 224 in 2011. Currently the volunteer center has 896 showing 1% of the population.
Source: (Tarrant, 2012)
The number of registered companies has similarly increased. The figure below shows the size of companies taking part from 2008 to 2011. This has gone up to 700 showing 1% of the general population.
Source: (Tarrant, 2012)
There has been a wide range of methods in acquiring volunteers from 2008 to 2011. The use of family, friends and outreach companies has been seen as the best method to use. Other non-direct method applied is the use of internet and other media channels like televisions.
Source: (Tarrant, 2012)
A number of reasons have been issued for volunteering most of which were based on community involvement. The desire to take part in a community initiative, giving back to the society and making a difference were most common.
Source: (Tarrant, 2012)
5. Discussion
The research focuses on social capital theory process as a tool to display and make understand the personal and collective volunteer processes as based in the social relations in the community. The methods used acquired rich data as based on personal and company experiences of volunteer involvement in a period of recession. The integration of volunteer to the social process brings about trust and mutual resource attainment in the community.
The social capital theory can show that volunteer acts as shown connect to volunteer group relations and bring about a sense of belonging and internal affirmation. Moreover, the social processes of volunteering are attributed as bringing about some form of social trust connected to volunteer relation and even going further. It is through this manner that volunteering brings about a mode of community integration in mending ties and meeting the needs of the minority through offering employment (Putnam, 2000, 19)
The research has been able to acquire the varied benefits as stated by the volunteers who connect to the getting of skills and education, being useful among others. It is through this that maintenance and elevation of resources is kept abreast as well as bridging social capital.
Gender volunteer tasks were stated, with women getting involved in extended times of volunteer efforts and the men being transient. The women get involved more than men while familiarity brings about social association. It is real that there is a connection between jobs, education and income that affects the level of volunteer involvement with better salaries and education level. Of focus is that the results show that the trained persons do not add into the social capital. This may offer one the belief that the people do have high forms social capital. The addition to social capital ultimately is not affected by age, gender, employment or relationship. The young volunteers are less likely to get involved in formal volunteering and more in informal voluntary efforts.
Volunteering brings about com commitment and community fulfillment. This is shown in the research stating the complexity of the person and society on the basis of egoism and identity among others (Bason et al, 2002, 430). The contribution of volunteering to the social process is seen in this research through, social connections, volunteer groups, and advancement of trust and resource acquisition as stated through the company representatives. Based on Hill (2011, 78), the flexible impact of financial hindrances on volunteering and tendencies to getting job are difficult with the ones who work less taking more time to volunteer.
6. Conclusion and Recommendations
The research study shows volunteering as a process of the community using the social relations established by the volunteers and companies. The social attributes arise from volunteer issues as they are based on mutual response, trust health in the volunteer process. The research looks to preserve the organic process for the volunteers. Consultative process is applied so as to make sure, note and safeguard contributions by the volunteers. It is important to quantify and get a better understanding of the voluntary tendencies and advantages as they connect to the process in the US and use this information for precise volunteer and governance methods. The process of volunteer will rely on the connections between the volunteer and the people, groups, companies or society. The company has to advance acquirable expectations in their roles and duties and handle the volunteers in a manner so as to safeguard the varied forms of volunteerism.
7. Bibliography
Batson, C., Ahmad, N. & Tsang, J. Four motives for community involvement. Journal of Social Issues, 2002, 58(3), 429-445.
Cresswell, J. 2003. Research Design: Qualitative Quantitative and Mixed Method Approaches. Sydney: Sage Publications.
Hanifin, 1916. The Rural School Community Center. Analysis of American Academy of Political and Social Science, 67, 130-138.
Hill, M. 2011. Volunteering and the recession. Institute for Volunteering Research Think Piece. London: Birbeck, University London.
Lukka and Ellis, 2001. An exclusive construct? Exploring different cultural contexts of volunteering. Voluntary Action, 3(3), 87-109.
National Committee on Volunteering (2002). Tipping the balance. Report and recommendations to government on supporting and developing volunteering in Ireland. Dublin: National Committee on Volunteering.
Pansieiri, F. 2003. The Economic and Social Council. Acquired from: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2010/soc4759.doc.htm
Putnam, R. D. 2000. Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Tarrant, H., 2012. Social Process and Connectivity in Irish Volunteering. Acquired from: http://repository.wit.ie/1789/1/hilerytarrantthesis.pdf
Zappala, G. 2000. How many people volunteer in Australia and why do they do it? The Smith family research and advocacy briefing paper No.4. Acquired from: http://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/webdata/resources/files/Briefing_Paper-4.PDF
