| In the rapid development of community volunteerism in China,there have been problems such as volunteers only registering but not participating,and the continuity of volunteers’ participation in volunteerism is not guaranteed.This paper focuses on a special type of community in urban communities: unit-based communities,and explores how the sustainability of volunteerism among elderly volunteers in such communities;whether the sustainability of volunteerism among elderly volunteers in unit-based communities is affected by the unit and what role social work plays in promoting long-term volunteerism among elderly volunteers in unit-based communities.By exploring the above questions,this study hopes to provide some help to promote the theoretical development of localized volunteer service sustainability research and the improvement of community volunteer service management practice.From the perspective of endogenous-exogenous factors,combined with the stage model of volunteerism research and role identity theory,this study establishes a research framework that is in line with the reality of Chinese unitary communities,and considers that the sustainability of volunteerism is influenced by endogenous factors: emotional dynamics and exogenous factors: action space,and regards the process of volunteerism as three stages,i.e.,early,middle,and The process of volunteering is considered as three stages,namely,pre-,mid-,and post-,which correspond to the first,experience,and outcome stages of the stage model.Under this framework,this study adopts a qualitative research approach to conduct an empirical study of some unitary communities in Hefei City,Anhui Province,Xiangyang City,Hubei Province,and Wuhan City,and conducts in-depth interviews with 10 elderly volunteers and 5 community workers in unitary communities on the basis of ensuring the basic research ethics.Through textual analysis of the interview data,the continuity pattern of volunteerism among elderly volunteers in unitary communities was revealed.The study found that in the early and middle stages,the emotional motivation of the elderly volunteers in the unitary community became the decisive factor affecting the continuity of volunteerism,including the desire to volunteer,group and personal identity,relationship continuity and interactive feedback.The support provided by the society,the community,the residents and the social work and so on builds the action space for long-term participation in volunteer service.With sufficient emotional motivation and space for action,the continuous volunteering behavior of elderly volunteers in unitary communities can be realized.Based on the above analysis,the study further focuses on the influence of the unit,a special subject,on the volunteer service of the elderly in the unitary community.The study shows that the influence of the unit on the unitary community and the elderly volunteers is continuous and "invisible" in a form of stealth.This continuous influence is mainly manifested in the moral support for volunteers and the shaping of the environment of the unitary community.The development of volunteerism in unitary communities is actually a reflection of the overall changes in Chinese society in recent decades.In the context of the atomization of society and the advent of the material age,it is of practical significance for unitary communities to try to re-organize the retired elderly to guide the whole population to participate in community governance.In the specific operation process,we should focus on the emotional experience of volunteers’ participation in volunteer services,explore the cultural resources and backbone groups in the community and give full play to the professional role of social work,which can help promote the improvement of community volunteer service management. |
