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Volunteerism, Health, and Civic Engagement among Older Adults*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2010

Benjamin H. Gottlieb  and
Alayna A. Gillespie
Benjamin H. Gottlieb*
Affiliation:
University of Guelph
Alayna A. Gillespie
Affiliation:
University of Guelph
*
Requests for offprints should be sent to:/Les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à: Benjamin H. Gottlieb, Ph.D., Psychology Department, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, (bgottlie@uoguelph.ca)
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Abstract

In North America, 40–50 per cent of older adults are actively involved as formal volunteers in providing diverse health and human services. We review empirical studies concerning older adults' motivations for volunteering, as well as the health and morale benefits they derive from this expression of altruism. Knowledge of the exact nature and amount of volunteer activity necessary to produce these effects is limited, and studies have yet to identify the behavioural and psychological mechanisms that are implicated. We propose that older adult volunteers may enjoy good health and longevity because being useful to others instills a sense of being needed and valued. We present several theoretical perspectives on the developmental significance of volunteering, discuss the challenges to volunteerism imposed by the baby boom cohort, and identify future research priorities.

Résumé

En Amérique du Nord, 40 à 50 pour cent des aînés participent activement à titre de bénévoles officiels à la prestation de divers services de santé et de services sociaux. Nous avons passé en revue des études empiriques sur les raisons motivant le bénévolat chez les aînés, ainsi que sur les bienfaits sur le moral et la santé que ces derniers tirent de cette expression d'altruisme. La connaissance de la nature exacte et du nombre d'activités bénévoles nécessaires pour produire ces effets est limitée, et les études n'ont pas encore permis de déterminer les mécanismes behavioristes et psychologiques en cause. Nous proposons que les aînés bénévoles pourraient jouir d'une bonne santé et vivre longtemps parce que, en étant utiles à d'autres, ils ont le sentiment qu'on a besoin d'eux et qu'ils sont appréciés. Nous présentons plusieurs points de vue théoriques sur l'importance du bénévolat au plan du développement personnel, discutons des défis imposés au bénévolat par la génération du baby-boom, et déterminons les priorités futures en matière de recherche.

Keywords

vieillissementbénévolataînésengagement civiquealtruismesantéagingvolunteerismolder adultscivic engagementaltruismhealth
Type
Policy and Practice Note/Note sur la politique et la pratique
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 27 , Issue 4 , Winter/Hiver 2008 , pp. 399 - 406
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2008

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Footnotes

*

Funding for this research was provided to the first author by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

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