Invisible Civic Engagement among Older Adults: Valuing the Contributions of Informal Volunteering

Abstract

There is a growing call for civic engagement, largely in the form of formal volunteering, among older adults in America. This call is a response to the aging of the baby boom population, believed to be the healthiest and wealthiest cohort of older adults to date. It also coincides with the devolution of welfare programs. We argue that current discussions of civic engagement are too narrow and may exclude important informal contributions that older adults make to civic society, and put undue stress on, and devalue those who may not contribute to society due to poor health, poverty or other barriers. We draw on data collected from older adults of lower socio-economic status and diverse ethnic backgrounds in Baltimore City using focus groups to explore their definitions of volunteering and barriers which they face. Through a discussion of existing barriers and motivators for engagement, we critically assess the use of these terms and advance discussions on how to facilitate and value contributions of all older adults. We conclude that civic engagement includes more than formal volunteering and that significant barriers need to be removed to facilitate greater participation of all elders in both formal and informal activities.

Factors Predicting Civic Engagement among Older Adult Nursing Home Residents

“…In line with previous work suggesting that civic engagement not be exclusively focused on volunteerism Martinez et al, 2011), our findings suggest there is potential for residents to get involved in and make meaningful contributions to their community in a variety of ways. An important point regarding this study's findings is that many residents reported membership in community and social groups of which they were once active members.…”

“…Participation can also provide important opportunities for older adults to increase their social networks and interactions with their community, and it can give older adults the opportunity to engage in meaningful activities that can generate a sense of purpose and fulfillment (Martinez et al, 2006;Morrow-Howell, Hong, & Tang, 2009;Mui, Glajchen, Chen, & Sun, 2013). Concerns have been raised, however, about characterizing civic engagement activities based exclusively on formal volunteer contributions (Martinez, Crooks, Kim, & Tanner, 2011). Specifically, it has been suggested that informal volunteering and participation in community events have tended to be overlooked and undervalued.…”

“…Specifically, it has been suggested that informal volunteering and participation in community events have tended to be overlooked and undervalued. Increasingly more researchers are expanding the dialogue and conducting research to examine the informal contributions of older adults (e.g., Martinez et al, 2011).…”

“…In the existing literature, studies have tended to focus on the health benefits of volunteering for healthy, community-dwelling older adults with higher socioeconomic status (Martinez et al, 2011). Yet, participation in civic engagement activities may also be beneficial to those with cognitive or physical limitations (Dabelko-Schoeny, Anderson, & Spinks, 2010) as well as minority and low-income older adults (Martinez et al, 2011).…”

“…Yet, participation in civic engagement activities may also be beneficial to those with cognitive or physical limitations (Dabelko-Schoeny, Anderson, & Spinks, 2010) as well as minority and low-income older adults (Martinez et al, 2011). Indeed, argue that there is a critical need for research that specifically targets civic engagement opportunities and participation for nursing home residents.…”