| Description |
In present day America, college students have many demands on their time, including classes, family obligations, and work. New theories from the field of developmental psychology indicate changes in the length and timing of the transition from adolescence to adulthood, and have proposed a new developmental state,, known as emerging adulthood (Arnett, 2012). This stage can help us understand the behavior of college age students. Interestingly, despite juggling multiple commitments, nearly half of Utah college students are providing some form of community service. According to the Corporation for National Community Service (The Federal Agency for Service and Volunteering, 2012) 48.6% of college students in Utah volunteered in the year 2011. This study examines the motivations of these busy emerging adults (ages 18-25) to engage in volunteerism. By combining existing knowledge of the behaviors of emerging adults with the understanding of the motivations of volunteers, my research seeks to improve our understanding of the motivations of college volunteers. Through a mixed methods approach, using both surveys and focus groups, I studied students in Honors College scholars groups (n=17) and those enrolled as Community Engaged Scholars (n=60) at the University of Utah. The results demonstrate that emerging adults are primarily motivated to prepare for their career. Significant secondary motivations include altruism and social interactions. Quantitative analysis reveals that Community Engaged Scholars value the social elements of volunteering more than the Honors College Scholars. In addition female respondents were more motivated than their male counterparts by the ability to learn about themselves and their community through volunteering. |
