Volunteers: A Social Profile (philanthropic And Nonprofit Studies)

Sociology Philanthropy John Wilson is Professor of Sociology at Duke University. He has published more than fifty articles on volunteerism and the impact of race, gender, religion, and leisure on volunteering in publications such as Contemporary Sociology, Social Forces, Social Science Quarterly, and American Sociological Review. Musick and Wilson An eye-opening portrait of the volunteer in contemporary society “A much needed book for both scholars and practitioners. It covers a wide range of topics dealing with volunteering . . . a major contribution.” —Virginia Hodgkinson, Executive Director, Center for Voluntary Organizations and Service Philanthropic and Nonprofit Studies Dwight F. Burlingame and David C. Hammack, editors INDIANA University Press Bloomington & Indianapolis http://iupress.indiana.edu 1-800-842-6796 Jacket illustration by Stephen Schildbach. © Images.com/Corbis. Volunteers A Social Profile Volunteers A Social Profile Marc A. Musick and John Wilson Marc A. Musick and John Wilson Volunteers Marc A. Musick is Associate Professor of Sociology and Faculty Research Associate in the Population Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin. He also holds an appointment as Adjunct Research Associate Professor in the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. His research interests include the causes and consequences of volunteering, religious behavior and belief, and other forms of productive activity. His research has appeared in publications such as American Sociological Review; Journal of Health and Social Behavior; Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences; Journal for the Scientific Study of Research; and Social Forces. INDIANA Who tends to volunteer and why? What causes attract certain types of volunteers? What motivates people to volunteer? How can volunteers be persuaded to continue their service? Making use of a broad range of survey information to offer a detailed portrait of the volunteer in today’s world, Volunteers provides an important resource for everyone who works with volunteers or is interested in their role in contemporary society. Marc A. Musick and John Wilson address issues of volunteer motivation by focusing on individuals’ subjective states, their available resources, and the influence of age, gender, and race. In a section on social context, they reveal how volunteer work is influenced by family relationships and obligations through the impact of schools, churches, and communities. They consider cross-national differences in volunteering and historical trends, and close with consideration of the research on the organization of volunteer work and the consequences of volunteering for the volunteer. A comprehensive examinati