Student volunteering and the active community: issues and opportunities for teaching and learning in sociology

Abstract

Student volunteering is currently being promoted through the Higher Education Active Community Fund, which runs to August 2004 and may be extended further. This development of higher education's 'third mission' has strong links with the government's agenda for citizenship and the active community. This initiative appears to have taken little account of debates concerning both the ideological bases of volunteering, in particular the contested nature of citizenship and social capital, and the practicalities of students volunteering. In an increasingly instrumental climate for higher education this represents a possible strategic flaw. The merits of integrating volunteering activity into the curriculum are discussed through comparison with service-learning in the USA, and illustrations of present practice from a number of UK universities. In conclusion, a case is made for more open and widespread dialogues between higher education institutions, the voluntary sector and policy-makers in exploring service-learning and its role in the curriculum and the community. Contributor details David Hall is a Senior Lecturer in Applied Sociology and teaches and researches in the area of applied social research, volunteering and the voluntary sector, and learning and teaching in sociology. Together with Irene Hall, he is active in community-based learning and is programme director of the M.Sc. in Applied Social and Community Research. He is a partner in two European Framework 5 research programmes on science shops and university-community partnerships for knowledge transfer, and is the Chair of Interchange, the Liverpool science shop equivalent.

Students’ Vocational Choices and Voluntary Action: A 12-Nation Study

“…Most of the studies on student volunteering were undertaken in the United States, and to the best of our knowledge there is no data comparing student volunteering rates around the world. As a result, studies on student volunteering outside the U.S. still have to rely on the American example (see Hall et al 2004). For example, in Canada 33% of young people (aged 15-24) volunteer (Jones 2000), but the volunteering rate for students is unknown.…”

“…In the last five years, for example, the British government has encouraged students to volunteer through the Higher Education Active Community Fund. Most universities in the United Kingdom have a volunteer bureau and encourage students to volunteer, partly due to a much greater emphasis on employability in universities (Hall et al 2004). Organizations such as ''Student Volunteering England'' encourage a long-term commitment for British students (www.studentvol.org.uk).…”

Volunteering with older people in a care home

“…The focus of the research reported below on the experience of volunteers may help to show the value of it The status of volunteering in English Higher Education (HE) has been strengthened in recent years, particularly through funding initiatives such as the Higher Education Active Community Fund which funded community engagement programmes in HE between 2002 and 2006. Volunteering has also been integrated in teaching programmes through the development of service learning programmes (Hall et al, 2004), while more generally volunteering is promoted as a way of enhancing students' career prospects' This is at the same time as getting involved in community activities (National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE), 2009). A Scottish study showed that parents and guardians play a significant role in encouraging young people to volunteer, followed by teachers then friends (Volunteer Scotland, 2017).…”

Psychological Well-Being of Volunteer Teacher Trainers in the Remote Area in Indonesia

“…In psychological well-being studies conducted on earthquake disaster volunteers in Pakistan, it was found that by volunteering, individuals feel there is a positive change from themselves, where they can be more respectful of themselves, others, life, feel close to God and feel the satisfaction in life (Najia, 2005). Hall, Hall, Cameron, Green (2004) also mentioned other positive impacts involved in joining volunteers such as gaining knowledge, improving social networks, and improving career prospects through voluntary activities.…”