Aalst, Famke van (2024) Helping Others to Help Yourself: The Effect of Volunteering on Life Satisfaction and the Moderating Role of Employment Status. Bachelor thesis, Sociology.
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Abstract
With 44% of the Dutch population doing voluntary work, volunteering seems to be a popular way to occupy one’s leisure time (CBS, 2022). Prior research shows volunteering can benefit an individual’s life satisfaction (Armstrong et al., 2020). Possible reasons for these benefits could be the gained psychological and social resources and time structure (Lin, Ye & Ensel, 1999; Goodman et al., 2016). However, since leisure time is often only a part of the hours in a day, it could be important to consider one’s employment status as well. Especially since working possibly could benefit life satisfaction through the same reasons. Therefore, this bachelor thesis will try to answer the following question: Are Dutch people who volunteer more satisfied than their peers? Is this explained by their employment status? In this context, employment status refers to employment (performing paid work) and unemployment (not performing paid work). To answer this question, a multiple regression analysis has been performed using data from the LISS panel. The LISS panel is a representation of the Dutch population and collects longitudinal data from around 5000 households. The individual’s subjective health, income, and age have been considered as controlling variables. The data showed no difference in estimated life satisfaction between those who volunteer and those who do not. The influence volunteering has on life satisfaction also does not differ between those who are employed and those who are not. Being employed does benefit life satisfaction, as well as subjective health, which has been found as an important determinant of life satisfaction.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Giardini, F. and Smaniotto, R.C. |
| Degree programme: | Sociology |
| Differentiation route: | None [Bachelor Sociology] |
| Date Deposited: | 11 Sep 2024 09:52 |
| Last Modified: | 11 Sep 2024 09:52 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/4375 |
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