Competencies of senior volunteers
A sociocultural and dialogical perspective
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21490484 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nathalie Muller Mirza (0000-0003-4342-4236, University of Geneva, corresponding author), Vittoria Cesari Lusso (University of Neuchâtel), Antonio Iannaccone (0000-0003-2393-4108, Mercatorum University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | European Journal of Psychology of Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0256-2928 • E-ISSN: 1878-5174 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10212-026-01119-9 |
| OpenAlex | W7155216240 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 39 |
In the field of developmental and educational psychology, much of the research on cognitive processes of older adults has focused on the disorganization and decline of mental functions. Such an approach, however, tends to overlook the potential for learning and psychological development in seniors when they engage in activities that draw on competencies acquired in earlier phases of their life. Adopting a sociocultural and dialogical perspective, this paper examines the competencies mobilized and further developed by seniors involved in volunteer work within associations in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. More specifically, we provide a detailed analysis of how one volunteer’s competencies are enacted in her engagement within an association. By highlighting the different dimensions of the competencies she brings into play, this study contributes to a definition of competence grounded in a sociocultural psychological framework, as well as to a discussion of the methodological conditions required to study it. More broadly, this paper advances our understanding of how older adults mobilize their competencies in practice and shows the essential role these competencies play for society
Cognition · Dialogical self · Educational psychology · Sociocultural evolution · Sociocultural perspective · Aging and Gerontology Research · Identity, Memory, and Therapy · Social Representations and Identity
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Rethinking Language, Mind, and World Dialogically
Culture in Minds and Societies
Toward a Life Course Framework for Studying Vulnerability
Reflective Activity as a Promoter of Awareness Processes in College Students
A New Housing Mode in a Regional Landscape of Care
Learning and developing over the life-course
The relevance of a sociocultural perspective for understanding learning and development in older age
Aged experience – A cultural developmental investigation
Introduction to the special issue on generalisation from dialogical single case studies
The benefits associated with volunteering among seniors
Volunteering and Trajectories of Depression
Volunteering Dynamics and Life Satisfaction
Payback time’
From volunteer work to informal care by stealth
Dialogical Mind
Life as Narrative
The Narrative Construction of Reality
| Highly cited | No |
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