The influence of cultural values over volunteering: the case of Europe

Abstract

It is very difficult to define and typify volunteering due to the huge complexity voluntary work phenomenon has, including a large variety of interpretations, motivations, socio-demographic variables and cultural aspects associated to volunteers profile. The main objective of this study is to analyze the combined influence of some socio-demographic variables and cultural values, secular or traditional ones, over volunteers profile in Europe. Additionally, the study investigates what variables guide volunteers towards each volunteering type. A logistic regression methodology has been applied to the information obtained from the European Value Study. The results help to establish a characterization of volunteering in Europe, and confirm the influence of cultural values, on one hand, over carrying out or not voluntary work, and on the other hand, the influence over volunteers’ choice of the type of activity to be committed to. Analyzing two volunteering types with supposedly very different motivations, we come to the conclusion that a group of cultural values influence both of them, although in different direction and intensity; at the same time, some values have influence or not over volunteering depending on the specific type.