Abstract
The study aimed to explain the sense of empowerment in volunteer activity among Israeli women in middle and later life. The sample consisted of 146 women volunteering in social services in Israel. Based on Bronfenbrenner's ecological model of human adaptation to environments, the contribution of three ecological systems to explaining empowerment among volunteer women was examined: the ontogenic system, the microsystem, and the chronosystem. The women reported positive experiences with volunteering, as expressed in high levels of empowerment and family support for volunteer activity. In addition, the findings revealed high levels of satisfaction with rewards of volunteering and low levels of difficulty with the provider organization. The variables that contributed most to explaining empowerment in volunteering were those belonging to the ontogenic system: self-esteem and motives for volunteering. Of the microsystem variables, difficulties with the provider organization and rewards also contributed significantly to explaining empowerment.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Handbook of Business and Finance |
| Subtitle of host publication | Multinational Companies, Venture Capital and Non-Profit Organizations |
| Publisher | Nova Science Publishers, Inc. |
| Pages | 101-122 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781606928554 |
| State | Published - 2009 |
Keywords
- Ecological model
- Late adulthood
- Midlife
- Volunteering
- Women