Exploring the relationship between local volunteering opportunities and the propensity to volunteer using a nationally representative survey of adults in Wales

Higgs, Gary, Page, Nicholas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4671-2797 and Langford, Mitchel 2021. Exploring the relationship between local volunteering opportunities and the propensity to volunteer using a nationally representative survey of adults in Wales. Journal of Civil Society 17 (2) , pp. 101-118. 10.1080/17448689.2021.1923903

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Abstract

This study explored the respective importance of compositional (individual) and contextual (neighbourhood) factors associated with the propensity to engage in formal volunteering among a nationally representative sample of adults in Wales, UK. To date, while certain contextual characteristics of local communities have been found to be associated with the propensity to volunteer, compositional characteristics of residents tend to be stronger predictors. Few studies to date have specifically explored associations with local volunteering opportunities. To address such gaps, this study examined the extent to which such opportunities and broader neighbourhood factors such as urban/rural status and deprivation impacted upon propensities to volunteer, adjusting for important compositional predictors of voluntarism. In summary, while volunteering was marginally associated with a measure of local voluntary opportunities, hinting that the odds of formal volunteering are greater among those living in areas with more local voluntary organizations, this association was not retained following adjustment for other factors. This suggests that much of the area-level variance is explained by spatial variations in compositional factors. Further research is needed to examine determinants of volunteering behaviour at a range of spatial scales by drawing on wider measures of volunteering opportunities, before the factors at play can be fully understood.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Public Health Improvement (DECIPHer) Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
ISSN:	1744-8689
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	2 August 2021
Date of Acceptance:	20 November 2020
Last Modified:	14 Nov 2024 19:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/143094

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