Benjamin J Lough
Biographic Data
| ID | 315206 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Benjamin J Lough |
| GIVEN NAMES | Benjamin J |
| FAMILY NAME | Lough |
| SIGNATURE | LOUGH B J |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-8106-9207 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 25 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 137 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 25 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2003 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
Determinants of serving a mission
Scholar/practitioner research in international development volunteering
International development volunteering (IDV) is the practice of sending skilled international volunteers to exchange knowledge and skills with community-based organisations and individuals in a partner country. IDV is a popular form of development assistance in many countries. As the popularity of these programmes grows, so too does the need for – and interest in – better understanding of their impacts and dynamics. Scholar/practitioner research …
International Development Volunteering as Transformational Feminist Practice for Gender Equality
International and transnational commitments to gender equality require strategies that tackle root causes and prevailing attitudes that perpetuate disparities. In this article, we examine the role and impact of international development volunteers (IDV) as development actors who are well-placed for feminist transformational change, as they work in transnational spaces to influence, support, or reinforce changes in attitudes and behaviors towards …
Applied Social Research
Social work and the other applied social science professions aim to marshal evidence to inform beneficial social change. Notwithstanding positive intentions, effective application of research to policy and practice is not always robust in achieving impacts. To do better, we should purposefully connect research to action, including engagement with practitioners and the policy process. We extend the definition of “public impact scholarship” to incl…
Sexual and gender minoritized youth in Christian home schools
In 2014, Leelah Alcorn, a homeschooled transgender teenager in the United States, died by suicide after enduring months of social isolation and her parent’s repeated efforts to change her gender identity. Sexual and gender minoritized (SGM) youth who are, like Leelah, homeschooled in the U.S. do not have access to the institutional and relational supports afforded to SGM youth in public schools. This study examines how variations in educational s…
Effective practices of international volunteering for health
BACKGROUND: The demand for international volunteer experiences to promote global health and nutrition is increasing and numerous studies have documented the experiences of the international volunteers who travel abroad; however, little is known about effective practices from the perspective of partner organizations. This study aims to understand how variables such as the skill-level of volunteers, the duration of service, cultural and language tr…
International Volunteering Capacity Development
Scholarly studies documenting the relationship between international volunteering and capacity development for international development organizations have increasingly presented the benefits and challenges of international volunteering from the perspective of partner organizations, thereby filling an important gap in the scholarship on international volunteering. As this body of literature grows, we can identify common themes pertaining to capac…
Supporting and retaining Village Health Teams
Supporting and retaining Uganda's VHTs would be enhanced by building stronger partnerships between VHTs and other health workers and regularly providing supplies and transportation allowances. Pursuing such measures would likely improve equity in access to healthcare for all Ugandans
Global service-learning in institutions of higher education
In order to better understand and determine priorities of global service-learning in higher education, this study used an empowering evaluation processes to assess the strategic trajectories needed for growth in this field. Researchers organised 36 focus groups during an international summit to map the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for global service-learning in higher education. These focus groups generated 121 summary statements, whi…
Revisiting reciprocity in international volunteering
This article critically examines reciprocity in international volunteering. It first highlights tensions and unintended consequences that can emerge when pursuing reciprocal relationships between host-country partners and international volunteers or volunteer-sending organizations. It then reconsiders how to determine equal or fair distribution of benefits between stakeholders when some benefits are material and some are intangible. It then prese…
How do International Volunteering Characteristics Influence Outcomes? Perspectives from Partner Organizations
This study examines how different types of international volunteering influence common program outcomes such as building organizational capacity, developing international relationships, and performing manual labor. Survey responses were collected from 288 development-oriented volunteer partner organizations operating in 68 countries. Data on the duration of volunteer service, the volunteers’ skill levels, and other variables were used to develop …
Barriers to involvement in nonmetropolitan LGBTQ organizations
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) organizations are spaces in which LGBTQ individuals can access support and community, yet they have received little empirical attention, particularly outside urban areas. Given the benefits of LGBTQ community involvement, this study examined the barriers to involvement in nonmetropolitan LGBTQ organizations. Three qualitative methods were employed: interviews, focus groups, and participant ob…
Skills-Based International Volunteering Among Older Adults From the United States
International volunteering among older adults is an under-researched, yet growing, market. Policy experts and volunteer resource managers have proposed recruiting older volunteers to meet a demand for skilled volunteers that are able to serve for a longer duration abroad. This article utilizes data from the U.S. Current Population Survey (CPS) to assess how well older international volunteers from the United States fit this profile. Administrativ…
Confronting the white elephant
This retrospective study with nine volunteer-sending organizations from six countries assesses how race influences the aid recipients’ internalized sense of power and agency. Methods include a combination of 24 structured staff-member interviews, 59 community-member interviews, and 83 quantitative surveys. From the perspective of intended aid recipients, there is a strong association between race and: (i) resources, (ii) knowledge and expertise, …
Motivations for Involvement in Nonmetropolitan LGBTQ Organizations
Organizations serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities provide services aimed at improving the health and well-being of LGBTQ people, yet may face limited resources and community support in nonmetropolitan communities. This study seeks to understand LGBTQ individuals' motivations for becoming and staying involved in nonmetropolitan LGBTQ organizations. Data collection methods included interviews, participant obse…
Social Work Perspectives on International Volunteer Service
International volunteer service has close historical and contemporary linkages with the social work profession. However, knowledge of international service continues to lag behind practice. This paper reviews recent trends in international volunteer service, and illustrates why this area may need greater attention from the social work profession. It summarises recent research from community partners in the Global South, indicating that current de…
The impact of international service on the development of volunteers' intercultural relations
Navigating the boundaries of active global citizenship
This paper informs the active global citizenship debate by assessing whether returned international volunteers with a strong belief in the need for global governance also believe that participation in national political and civic spaces can drive global change. Regression models use survey responses from 245 returned international volunteers at three points in time. Findings indicate no significant difference in volunteers' conceptions of global …
Effects of neoliberal adjustments on government-funded international volunteer cooperation organisations
This paper uses findings from a survey of 19 government-funded international volunteer cooperation organisations (IVCOs) to discuss whether past and future patterns of government funding provide support for assertions of neoliberal adjustments. Findings indicate greater competition between providers, increased accountability for aid effectiveness, more private sector involvement, and an emphasis on domestic priorities with a focus on the skill-de…
International volunteers’ perceptions of intercultural competence
Capacity Building Contributions of Short-Term International Volunteers
Previous research suggests that international volunteer service may have both positive and negative effects on host organizations. Applying a capacity-building perspective, this study uses semistructured interviews to ask staff in hosting organizations to identify the main outcomes of short-term volunteer service. These views were compared with perspectives of staff from matched organizations that do not host international volunteers. Findings su…
The Perpetual Education Fund
Effects of International Volunteering and Service
Despite unprecedented recent expansion of international volunteering and service (IVS), there has been relatively little research on impacts. This paper proposes a conceptual model for impact research based on existing research evidence published in English. The model suggests that outcomes for host communities, volunteers, and sending communities vary depending on individual and institutional attributes and capacity. How institutions structure a…
Engaging the poor to challenge corrupt governance
English This article summarizes four popular anti-corruption approaches, including universal legal reform, public-sector reform, social action and democratic participation. It specifically addresses how social workers can engage the poor in challenging corrupt practices, and cites examples where practitioners have been successful at implementing these strategies. French Cet article récapitule quatre approches populaires anti-corruption incluant u…
Rise and demise of orphanages in Ukraine
This analysis compares historic and current trends in Ukrainian orphanages with changes that led to the general demise of the American institutionalized child welfare system. Although significant cultural and historical backgrounds are taken into account, there are parallels drawn between similar conditions which led to the demise of orphanages in the USA and the current deinstitutionalization movements in the Ukraine. A critical comparison of th…
Effects of International Volunteering and Service
Despite unprecedented recent expansion of international volunteering and service (IVS), there has been relatively little research on impacts. This paper proposes a conceptual model for impact research based on existing research evidence published in English. The model suggests that outcomes for host communities, volunteers, and sending communities vary depending on individual and institutional attributes and capacity. How institutions structure a…
Navigating the boundaries of active global citizenship
This paper informs the active global citizenship debate by assessing whether returned international volunteers with a strong belief in the need for global governance also believe that participation in national political and civic spaces can drive global change. Regression models use survey responses from 245 returned international volunteers at three points in time. Findings indicate no significant difference in volunteers' conceptions of global …
Capacity Building Contributions of Short-Term International Volunteers
Previous research suggests that international volunteer service may have both positive and negative effects on host organizations. Applying a capacity-building perspective, this study uses semistructured interviews to ask staff in hosting organizations to identify the main outcomes of short-term volunteer service. These views were compared with perspectives of staff from matched organizations that do not host international volunteers. Findings su…
International volunteers’ perceptions of intercultural competence
How do International Volunteering Characteristics Influence Outcomes? Perspectives from Partner Organizations
This study examines how different types of international volunteering influence common program outcomes such as building organizational capacity, developing international relationships, and performing manual labor. Survey responses were collected from 288 development-oriented volunteer partner organizations operating in 68 countries. Data on the duration of volunteer service, the volunteers’ skill levels, and other variables were used to develop …
Confronting the white elephant
This retrospective study with nine volunteer-sending organizations from six countries assesses how race influences the aid recipients’ internalized sense of power and agency. Methods include a combination of 24 structured staff-member interviews, 59 community-member interviews, and 83 quantitative surveys. From the perspective of intended aid recipients, there is a strong association between race and: (i) resources, (ii) knowledge and expertise, …
Motivations for Involvement in Nonmetropolitan LGBTQ Organizations
Organizations serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities provide services aimed at improving the health and well-being of LGBTQ people, yet may face limited resources and community support in nonmetropolitan communities. This study seeks to understand LGBTQ individuals' motivations for becoming and staying involved in nonmetropolitan LGBTQ organizations. Data collection methods included interviews, participant obse…
Barriers to involvement in nonmetropolitan LGBTQ organizations
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) organizations are spaces in which LGBTQ individuals can access support and community, yet they have received little empirical attention, particularly outside urban areas. Given the benefits of LGBTQ community involvement, this study examined the barriers to involvement in nonmetropolitan LGBTQ organizations. Three qualitative methods were employed: interviews, focus groups, and participant ob…
International Volunteering Capacity Development
Scholarly studies documenting the relationship between international volunteering and capacity development for international development organizations have increasingly presented the benefits and challenges of international volunteering from the perspective of partner organizations, thereby filling an important gap in the scholarship on international volunteering. As this body of literature grows, we can identify common themes pertaining to capac…
Revisiting reciprocity in international volunteering
This article critically examines reciprocity in international volunteering. It first highlights tensions and unintended consequences that can emerge when pursuing reciprocal relationships between host-country partners and international volunteers or volunteer-sending organizations. It then reconsiders how to determine equal or fair distribution of benefits between stakeholders when some benefits are material and some are intangible. It then prese…
Global service-learning in institutions of higher education
In order to better understand and determine priorities of global service-learning in higher education, this study used an empowering evaluation processes to assess the strategic trajectories needed for growth in this field. Researchers organised 36 focus groups during an international summit to map the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for global service-learning in higher education. These focus groups generated 121 summary statements, whi…
Effects of neoliberal adjustments on government-funded international volunteer cooperation organisations
This paper uses findings from a survey of 19 government-funded international volunteer cooperation organisations (IVCOs) to discuss whether past and future patterns of government funding provide support for assertions of neoliberal adjustments. Findings indicate greater competition between providers, increased accountability for aid effectiveness, more private sector involvement, and an emphasis on domestic priorities with a focus on the skill-de…
Engaging the poor to challenge corrupt governance
English This article summarizes four popular anti-corruption approaches, including universal legal reform, public-sector reform, social action and democratic participation. It specifically addresses how social workers can engage the poor in challenging corrupt practices, and cites examples where practitioners have been successful at implementing these strategies. French Cet article récapitule quatre approches populaires anti-corruption incluant u…
Applied Social Research
Social work and the other applied social science professions aim to marshal evidence to inform beneficial social change. Notwithstanding positive intentions, effective application of research to policy and practice is not always robust in achieving impacts. To do better, we should purposefully connect research to action, including engagement with practitioners and the policy process. We extend the definition of “public impact scholarship” to incl…
Skills-Based International Volunteering Among Older Adults From the United States
International volunteering among older adults is an under-researched, yet growing, market. Policy experts and volunteer resource managers have proposed recruiting older volunteers to meet a demand for skilled volunteers that are able to serve for a longer duration abroad. This article utilizes data from the U.S. Current Population Survey (CPS) to assess how well older international volunteers from the United States fit this profile. Administrativ…
Social Work Perspectives on International Volunteer Service
International volunteer service has close historical and contemporary linkages with the social work profession. However, knowledge of international service continues to lag behind practice. This paper reviews recent trends in international volunteer service, and illustrates why this area may need greater attention from the social work profession. It summarises recent research from community partners in the Global South, indicating that current de…
Rise and demise of orphanages in Ukraine
This analysis compares historic and current trends in Ukrainian orphanages with changes that led to the general demise of the American institutionalized child welfare system. Although significant cultural and historical backgrounds are taken into account, there are parallels drawn between similar conditions which led to the demise of orphanages in the USA and the current deinstitutionalization movements in the Ukraine. A critical comparison of th…
Scholar/practitioner research in international development volunteering
International development volunteering (IDV) is the practice of sending skilled international volunteers to exchange knowledge and skills with community-based organisations and individuals in a partner country. IDV is a popular form of development assistance in many countries. As the popularity of these programmes grows, so too does the need for – and interest in – better understanding of their impacts and dynamics. Scholar/practitioner research …
Sexual and gender minoritized youth in Christian home schools
In 2014, Leelah Alcorn, a homeschooled transgender teenager in the United States, died by suicide after enduring months of social isolation and her parent’s repeated efforts to change her gender identity. Sexual and gender minoritized (SGM) youth who are, like Leelah, homeschooled in the U.S. do not have access to the institutional and relational supports afforded to SGM youth in public schools. This study examines how variations in educational s…
Rise and demise of orphanages in Ukraine
This analysis compares historic and current trends in Ukrainian orphanages with changes that led to the general demise of the American institutionalized child welfare system. Although significant cultural and historical backgrounds are taken into account, there are parallels drawn between similar conditions which led to the demise of orphanages in the USA and the current deinstitutionalization movements in the Ukraine. A critical comparison of th…
Effects of International Volunteering and Service
Despite unprecedented recent expansion of international volunteering and service (IVS), there has been relatively little research on impacts. This paper proposes a conceptual model for impact research based on existing research evidence published in English. The model suggests that outcomes for host communities, volunteers, and sending communities vary depending on individual and institutional attributes and capacity. How institutions structure a…
Engaging the poor to challenge corrupt governance
English This article summarizes four popular anti-corruption approaches, including universal legal reform, public-sector reform, social action and democratic participation. It specifically addresses how social workers can engage the poor in challenging corrupt practices, and cites examples where practitioners have been successful at implementing these strategies. French Cet article récapitule quatre approches populaires anti-corruption incluant u…
The Perpetual Education Fund
International volunteers’ perceptions of intercultural competence
Capacity Building Contributions of Short-Term International Volunteers
Previous research suggests that international volunteer service may have both positive and negative effects on host organizations. Applying a capacity-building perspective, this study uses semistructured interviews to ask staff in hosting organizations to identify the main outcomes of short-term volunteer service. These views were compared with perspectives of staff from matched organizations that do not host international volunteers. Findings su…
Navigating the boundaries of active global citizenship
This paper informs the active global citizenship debate by assessing whether returned international volunteers with a strong belief in the need for global governance also believe that participation in national political and civic spaces can drive global change. Regression models use survey responses from 245 returned international volunteers at three points in time. Findings indicate no significant difference in volunteers' conceptions of global …
Effects of neoliberal adjustments on government-funded international volunteer cooperation organisations
This paper uses findings from a survey of 19 government-funded international volunteer cooperation organisations (IVCOs) to discuss whether past and future patterns of government funding provide support for assertions of neoliberal adjustments. Findings indicate greater competition between providers, increased accountability for aid effectiveness, more private sector involvement, and an emphasis on domestic priorities with a focus on the skill-de…
Social Work Perspectives on International Volunteer Service
International volunteer service has close historical and contemporary linkages with the social work profession. However, knowledge of international service continues to lag behind practice. This paper reviews recent trends in international volunteer service, and illustrates why this area may need greater attention from the social work profession. It summarises recent research from community partners in the Global South, indicating that current de…
The impact of international service on the development of volunteers' intercultural relations
Confronting the white elephant
This retrospective study with nine volunteer-sending organizations from six countries assesses how race influences the aid recipients’ internalized sense of power and agency. Methods include a combination of 24 structured staff-member interviews, 59 community-member interviews, and 83 quantitative surveys. From the perspective of intended aid recipients, there is a strong association between race and: (i) resources, (ii) knowledge and expertise, …
Motivations for Involvement in Nonmetropolitan LGBTQ Organizations
Organizations serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities provide services aimed at improving the health and well-being of LGBTQ people, yet may face limited resources and community support in nonmetropolitan communities. This study seeks to understand LGBTQ individuals' motivations for becoming and staying involved in nonmetropolitan LGBTQ organizations. Data collection methods included interviews, participant obse…
Barriers to involvement in nonmetropolitan LGBTQ organizations
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) organizations are spaces in which LGBTQ individuals can access support and community, yet they have received little empirical attention, particularly outside urban areas. Given the benefits of LGBTQ community involvement, this study examined the barriers to involvement in nonmetropolitan LGBTQ organizations. Three qualitative methods were employed: interviews, focus groups, and participant ob…
Skills-Based International Volunteering Among Older Adults From the United States
International volunteering among older adults is an under-researched, yet growing, market. Policy experts and volunteer resource managers have proposed recruiting older volunteers to meet a demand for skilled volunteers that are able to serve for a longer duration abroad. This article utilizes data from the U.S. Current Population Survey (CPS) to assess how well older international volunteers from the United States fit this profile. Administrativ…
Supporting and retaining Village Health Teams
Supporting and retaining Uganda's VHTs would be enhanced by building stronger partnerships between VHTs and other health workers and regularly providing supplies and transportation allowances. Pursuing such measures would likely improve equity in access to healthcare for all Ugandans
Global service-learning in institutions of higher education
In order to better understand and determine priorities of global service-learning in higher education, this study used an empowering evaluation processes to assess the strategic trajectories needed for growth in this field. Researchers organised 36 focus groups during an international summit to map the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for global service-learning in higher education. These focus groups generated 121 summary statements, whi…
Revisiting reciprocity in international volunteering
This article critically examines reciprocity in international volunteering. It first highlights tensions and unintended consequences that can emerge when pursuing reciprocal relationships between host-country partners and international volunteers or volunteer-sending organizations. It then reconsiders how to determine equal or fair distribution of benefits between stakeholders when some benefits are material and some are intangible. It then prese…
How do International Volunteering Characteristics Influence Outcomes? Perspectives from Partner Organizations
This study examines how different types of international volunteering influence common program outcomes such as building organizational capacity, developing international relationships, and performing manual labor. Survey responses were collected from 288 development-oriented volunteer partner organizations operating in 68 countries. Data on the duration of volunteer service, the volunteers’ skill levels, and other variables were used to develop …
Effective practices of international volunteering for health
BACKGROUND: The demand for international volunteer experiences to promote global health and nutrition is increasing and numerous studies have documented the experiences of the international volunteers who travel abroad; however, little is known about effective practices from the perspective of partner organizations. This study aims to understand how variables such as the skill-level of volunteers, the duration of service, cultural and language tr…
International Volunteering Capacity Development
Scholarly studies documenting the relationship between international volunteering and capacity development for international development organizations have increasingly presented the benefits and challenges of international volunteering from the perspective of partner organizations, thereby filling an important gap in the scholarship on international volunteering. As this body of literature grows, we can identify common themes pertaining to capac…
Applied Social Research
Social work and the other applied social science professions aim to marshal evidence to inform beneficial social change. Notwithstanding positive intentions, effective application of research to policy and practice is not always robust in achieving impacts. To do better, we should purposefully connect research to action, including engagement with practitioners and the policy process. We extend the definition of “public impact scholarship” to incl…
Sexual and gender minoritized youth in Christian home schools
In 2014, Leelah Alcorn, a homeschooled transgender teenager in the United States, died by suicide after enduring months of social isolation and her parent’s repeated efforts to change her gender identity. Sexual and gender minoritized (SGM) youth who are, like Leelah, homeschooled in the U.S. do not have access to the institutional and relational supports afforded to SGM youth in public schools. This study examines how variations in educational s…
Determinants of serving a mission
Scholar/practitioner research in international development volunteering
International development volunteering (IDV) is the practice of sending skilled international volunteers to exchange knowledge and skills with community-based organisations and individuals in a partner country. IDV is a popular form of development assistance in many countries. As the popularity of these programmes grows, so too does the need for – and interest in – better understanding of their impacts and dynamics. Scholar/practitioner research …
International Development Volunteering as Transformational Feminist Practice for Gender Equality
International and transnational commitments to gender equality require strategies that tackle root causes and prevailing attitudes that perpetuate disparities. In this article, we examine the role and impact of international development volunteers (IDV) as development actors who are well-placed for feminist transformational change, as they work in transnational spaces to influence, support, or reinforce changes in attitudes and behaviors towards …
Political science (22 works) · Public relations (16 works) · Psychology (15 works) · Tourism, Volunteerism, and Development (15 works) · Sociology (14 works) · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering (10 works) · Business (9 works) · Religion, Society, and Development (9 works) · Social Psychology (8 works) · Marketing (7 works)