A number of assumptions surrounding retired people who do volunteer work have been debunked in a study just completed at the University of Queensland.
Jeni Warburton, a research fellow in the School of Social Work and Social Policy, has been looking at why people volunteer - and why they don't.
For her PhD, Ms Warburton interviewed a random sample of people aged 65 to 74 years and considered voluntary work through organisations such as welfare groups, local community organisations, the church, and sports and social clubs.
"One of the most common assumptions is that older people have got the time for volunteer work," Ms Warburton said.
"However, my research showed that many people did not want to be organised or tied into a routine with volunteer work. Many feared becoming over-committed. They have just finished years of work and family commitments and now place a premium on flexibility.
"In addition, it cannot be assumed that everyone wants to volunteer through an organisation. Many older people are busy with a range of other activities and simply do not have the time nor the inclination to become involved."
Another assumption shown to be wide of the mark in this mail and telephone survey of about 300 Brisbane respondents was that older people necessarily want to work in organisations for other older people.
"Many are looking for a much broader range of things to do and very clearly want the chance to help others by using skills gained over their lifetime or specifically during their working lives," she said.
Ms Warburton said she was interested to find out why both men and women did volunteer work in this dollar-conscious, user-pays age.
"Is it to help themselves or to help others? Which are stronger, altruistic reasons or egoistic ones? The answer is that both are important.".
Ms Warburton said her research revealed "a strong sense or moral obligation" among volunteers. Most people were very positive about volunteering and were definitely doing it to help others.
At the same time those interviewed also identified a number of personal benefits, including the social contact that came with volunteer work.
"Many people liked to volunteer with their spouse or in small supportive groups," Ms Warburton said.
"Another thing that came through strongly was that people need to feel needed. For those now retired from paid work and with families grown up and left home, it was even more important to feel needed."
Ms Warburton interviewed similar numbers of men and women. She found that, although both were volunteering, they tended to do different sorts of jobs.
"However, perhaps contrary to expectations, women were involved in committee work and men did caring work, particularly through the church," she said.
About one third of those surveyed had never volunteered through an organisation although, in contrast, 20 per cent had volunteered throughout their lives. A further 20 per cent of the sample had taken on volunteer work since retirement or widowhood.
Most respondents expressed strong support for the volunteers in the community. Those who were currently volunteering found it a worthwhile and satisfying activity.
However, Ms Warburton said that organisations hoping to attract more older volunteers needed to avoid stereotyping them and making assumptions based solely on age.
She said older people come from a range of different backgrounds and, accordingly, organisations should offer them varied opportunities, including flexible time options.
"These narrow perceptions put older people off volunteering. They want to be treated as individuals with different experiences and skills to offer."
For further information, contact Jeni Warburton (telephone 3365 1254).
