Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Lee M. Stadtlander

Abstract

Volunteering is a selfless social action in which an individual chooses to participate through personal motivations. These actions of public service are a combination of need-based vacancies within organizations and unpaid compensation for filling those needs. The purpose of this research was to identify motivational attributes of individuals who volunteer in the identified rural area using one-on-one semi-structured interviews through the lens of the volunteer process model, in addition to the social identity, ecological, and social capital theories. The 15 participants for this study were over the age of 18, fluently spoke and read English, and had been a volunteer in the rural area for over one year prior to being interviewed. Most participants were white women who were retired, and aged 60 and above. This project addressed the quandary of what motivated individuals in a rural area of the Pacific Northwest to volunteer as well as insights into the experiences they had as volunteers in their local communities. The qualitative design was applied to this research wherein transcribed interviews were coded for attribute themes and values to explore the phenomenon of rural volunteering. It was apparent that the participants shared common denominators of wanting to help others in their community, ideals of altruistic compassion, and the view that volunteering in a rural community is more intimate than urban volunteering and easier to see needs and subsequently results, as well as being based on trust between parties. Growing volunteer workforces within rural areas can create positive social change by meeting the needs of a community and building trusting partnerships and pride within that community.

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