Cultural generativity in perspective

Motivations of older Jewish volunteers

Bibliographic Data

ID11200693
AuthorsEireann O'Dea (0000-0002-1378-5885, Simon Fraser University, corresponding author), Andrew Wister (0000-0002-0045-7428, Simon Fraser University), Sarah L Canham (0000-0002-0421-2612, University of Utah)
Year2023
Volume43
Issue1
Pages203-221
Publication date2023-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAgeing and Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0144-686X • E-ISSN: 1469-1779
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0144686x21000477
OpenAlexW4239423526
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited72

The physical, mental and social benefits for older adults who volunteer are well-documented. Absent from this area of research is an understanding of volunteer motivations among ethnoculturally diverse older adults. This paper addresses this research gap by examining motivations to volunteer related to cultural generativity among Jewish older adults, a group that remains underexplored in research. Cultural generativity is defined as an impulse to pass down one's culture to the next generation, and thus to outlive the self. The Jewish community is notable for possessing high levels of social capital, indicated by close community ties and the large number of faith and culturally based organisations, and therefore makes them an important ethnocultural group to study. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 adult volunteers age 65 and over. The guiding research questions for this study are: What are the motivations to volunteer among older Jewish adults? and Do these motivations align with the concept of generativity applied to Jewish culture? Data analysis identified three themes related to cultural generativity: volunteering to preserve and pass down Jewish traditions and teachings; a Jewish ethic of giving back perceived as a duty; and experiences of anti-Semitism and discrimination motivating Jewish participants to volunteer. Findings suggest the ways in which cultural generativity may be expressed through volunteerism

Duty · Faith · Generativity · Judaism · Perspective (graphical) · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Psychology · Religion, Society, and Development · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Social Psychology

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