Volunteer Work and Well-Being

Thoits, Peggy A.; Hewitt, Lyndi N.

doi:10.2307/3090173

Cited by 1,260 publications

(997 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Another study found a one-item measure of happiness correlated with a player's cricket batting average, which could be regarded as a behavioral outcome (Thoits & Hewitt, 2001). Overall, very little research can be found that examines the relationship between hedonic well-being and directly observed behaviors.…”

Section: Behavioral Correlatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond self-report in the study of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being: Correlations with acquaintance reports, clinician judgments and directly observed social behavior

Nave

Sherman

Funder

2008

Journal of Research in Personality

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Section: Behavioral Correlatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond self-report in the study of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being: Correlations with acquaintance reports, clinician judgments and directly observed social behavior

Nave

Sherman

Funder

2008

Journal of Research in Personality

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“…Of course, being part of a romantic couple or social network involves many reciprocal exchanges, but fewer studies have analyzed how well-being is affected if the exchange is primarily about giving rather than receiving, such as using one's time to help others or engaging in voluntary organizations. Virtually all studies on the effects of volunteering on well-being find that people who engage in unpaid work to help others benefit in some way (e.g., Meier & Stutzer, 2008;Musick & Wilson, 2003;Piliavin, 2003;Thoits & Hewitt, 2001). For a brief overview of the recent research on volunteering and subjective well-being see Dolan, Peasgood & White (2008, pp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Happy to Help? Exploring the Factors Associated with Variations in Rates of Volunteering Across Europe

2009

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This is the unspecified version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Permanent repository link AbstractThe frequency of formal volunteering varies widely across European countries, and rates of formal volunteering are especially low among Eastern European countries. Why are there such large differences in volunteering rates when it is known that volunteering is beneficial for well-being? Using data from the latest round of the European Social Survey, we test three hypotheses to explain these cross-national differences in volunteering. We ask whether people in countries with low frequencies of volunteering spend more of their time on informal volunteering activities; whether they differ on socio-demographic variables which are known to be linked to volunteering rates; or whether they show less well-being benefit from formal volunteering. Contrary to the first hypothesis, we find a positive correlation between formal and informal volunteering. We further conclude that national differences in rates of volunteering cannot be fully explained by differences in the social, psychological or cultural factors associated with volunteering nor the outcome of volunteering. It is likely that contextual factors, such as a country's historical background or institutions, determine levels of volunteering to a large extent.

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“…Although volunteering is believed to have beneficial effects for individuals, the relationship between volunteering and psychological well-being has received surprisingly little attention (Thoits and Hewitt 2001). There is a small body of evidence documenting the mental health benefits of volunteering for older adults (over 65), for whom volunteering has been shown to protect against depression (Musick and Wilson 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From Refugee to Good Citizen: A Discourse Analysis of Volunteering

Yap¹,

Byrne

Davidson

2010

Journal of Refugee Studies

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This paper is concerned with how refugees who work as volunteers with a refugee organization talk about themselves and their work. A Foucauldian Discourse Analytic approach is employed in order to explore how participants construct themselves as both refugees and volunteers, the discourses they draw on, and how this impacts on the possible ways-of-being open to refugees. The findings indicate a meta discourse of good citizen; volunteering was constructed as a technology of self, a way of transforming the refugee into a 'good citizen'. Volunteering was also seen as a way of preparing for entry into the labour market and a means of self-improvement.

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Volunteer Work and Well-Being

Abstract: Using two waves of panel data from Americans' Changing Lives (House 1995

Cited by 1,260 publications

References 43 publications

Beyond self-report in the study of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being: Correlations with acquaintance reports, clinician judgments and directly observed social behavior

Beyond self-report in the study of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being: Correlations with acquaintance reports, clinician judgments and directly observed social behavior

Happy to Help? Exploring the Factors Associated with Variations in Rates of Volunteering Across Europe

From Refugee to Good Citizen: A Discourse Analysis of Volunteering

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