Volunteering in the University Context: Student Perception and Participation

Abstract

In increasingly diverse cultural contexts, the intercultural perspective favors an enriching coexistence between cultures, with volunteering being an exercise that allows for a critical transformation of reality in order to achieve a more supportive and equitable society. This article aims to find out how university students conceive of volunteering, as well as their level of participation. The sample was made up of 208 students from the Pedagogy and Social Education degrees of the University of Granada during the 2019/2020 academic year. An ad hoc questionnaire was applied, which incorporated a standardised instrument (Adapted Values Test), as well as questions designed by the authors. The results underline the positive axiological perception of volunteering. The participants understand volunteering as a helping role that depends on the social, personal, and professional motivations of the students. However, this positive perception is not transformed into active participation and continuous links with voluntary organisations. The conclusions indicate that university students value volunteering as a necessary task for the social good, although their participation is low, and it is necessary to transform the pro-social awareness of university students into real participation.

Voluntariado y participación social en los estudios universitarios: adquisición de competencias y aprendizajes: Informe 2022

“…Si bien el voluntariado es una actividad que parte de una decisión premeditada por parte del individuo de forma altruista y libre y cuyos beneficios implican directamente a un colectivo y/o comunidad, también es claro que la participación en estas acciones produce un impacto muy significativo en el bienestar y la satisfacción personal, lo que incide en la continuidad y mantenimiento de tales acciones (Cívico-Ariza et al, 2020;Hustinx et al, 2010;Penner, 2002). Pero, además, su influencia se extiende al conjunto de la sociedad al lograrse mayores niveles de compromiso social e incluso, a través de la labor que realizan las distintas organizaciones del tercer sector, en el incremento del Producto Interior Bruto (PIB) de los países (Salamon et al, 2013).…”

“…Ambos ítems revelan, de una parte, la autoeficacia del alumnado, hallazgo coincidente con sus motivaciones; y, de otra, el reconocimiento de su entorno social (capital social) al colaborar en acciones de voluntariado. En general, y de acuerdo con diferentes investigaciones, ello tiene un impacto significati-vo en el bienestar y satisfacción personal de los y las universitarios/as, que influye directamente sobre sus posibilidades de continuidad en tales acciones (Cívico-Ariza et al, 2020;Hustinx et al, 2010;Penner, 2002); con claros beneficios en la mejora de su capital humano y social .…”

After school: Volunteering in community emergency services and substance use among Israeli adolescents

“…Behaviors that involve giving to others, ranging from volunteering to providing instrumental or social assistance, have been linked to healthy psychological, behavioral, and physical profiles, including lower morbidity, fewer health problems, reduced daily stress, and lower depression rates (e.g., Ballard et al, 2019; Jorge et al, 2018). An additional study on Brazilian adolescents found that a greater level of social capital (measured by their involvement in volunteer activities) was associated with a significantly lower risk of binge drinking (Cívico‐Ariza et al, 2020).…”

Digital Youth and Their Acquisition of Values When Using the Internet

“…In this sense, it is noted that "the change from social life to virtual life through social networks is one of the greatest dangers of the abusive use of new technologies for young people" [8] (p. 1). In particular, the Internet and social networks that characterize it, have an undeniable impact on the user's behavior and acquisition of values [9][10][11] because they become generators of content and information [12]. Today, this fact is accentuated, as interactivity has become the modus operandi of society in general and specifically of young people.…”

“…These ways of understanding and acting on the Internet with oneself and with others, of acquiring values and behaving on the networks, are some of the questions that have given rise to the study presented in this paper. To this end and considering what the true vision of the protagonists of these networks is, the aim focuses on discovering what the perception of young people is [9] on the use of the Internet and social values. To make understand their views, to detect the possible needs, interests, and realities with which they live within the Network [16] (p. 16) "... the truly important thing is not knowing that he/she is able to produce or consume, or to reflect about what kind of relationships he/she can establish with the media or the environment, but at what expense, with what values and with what ethical principles".…”