Article
Pryazhnikov N.S., Almazova O.V., Churbanova S.M. (2017). Vocational guidance in social volunteering. National Psychological Journal. 1, 45-55.
Abstract
The paper discusses the possibilities and limitations of vocational guidance in the social volunteering system. The essence of volunteer work is closely related with assistance to desperate people in searching for the meaning of living, often coinciding with labour activity that are deemed in terms of “the main matter of life” and “the leading activity”. For adolescents, it is the choice of career, and for adults, it is the work proper (i.e. an essential condition for personal self-realization). The problem of “forced volunteering” for experts in vocational guidance also means that they often have to work voluntarily and unselfishly outside the official guidelines. To clarify the terms «volunteer» and «a person in desperate need of help» the study used the method of analyzing the documents, e.g. the Regulations on Social Volunteering, the generalization of psychological sources, the initial survey of university students as active supporters of the volunteer movement, On the essence of volunteering and the place of career guidance in selfless social work. Vocational guidance is not excluded from the general system of volunteerism, but has an insufficiently defined status and low popularity among participants in social volunteering. Also, the problem of «forced volunteering» of experts in career counseling, which often requires voluntary and unselfish performance of quality work outside the framework of official instructions, is also indicated. Simultaneously, positive aspects of such disinterested career initiatives are noted, in particular, less control by the official inspectors (or customers) and, accordingly, greater freedom of creativity than when someone else does the work.
Accepted: 02/21/2017
Pages: 45-55
DOI: 10.11621/npj.2017.0106
PDF: Download
Keywords: social volunteering; professional orientation; «forced volunteering» of career advisers; personal meanings;
Available Online 30.03.2017
Table 1. Generalized results of student survey reflecting their views on social volunteering
|
Question 1 |
Yes |
No |
|
Do you have experience in social volunteering? |
46.8 % |
53.2 % |
|
The average and standard deviation of readiness to be engagde in volunteer activity in respondents with experience and without experience (percent) |
Me=66.2 SD=20.4 |
Me=50.5 SD=22.7 |
|
In general, the willingness to be engaged in volunteer activities ranged in respondents from 0 to 100% (Me=57,78; SD=22,89). |
||
|
Question 2 |
Yes |
No |
|
Is "partial volunteering" possible for professionals? |
76.1 % |
23.9 % |
|
The average and standard deviation of how much professionals can be considered volunteers (percent) |
Me=71.5 SD=22.4 |
Me=16.6 SD=18.5 |
|
Between these two groups of respondents (with different answers to the question), there are significant differences in assessing how much professionals can be considered volunteers (U = 98.0. p = 0.000, Mann-Whitney criterion for two independent samples), which is the expected result. |
||
|
Question 3 |
Yes |
No |
|
Do you need social volunteering in a country with developed social programs? |
84.7 % |
15.3 % |
|
The average and standard deviation of confidence in the response (10-point scale) |
Me=8.1 SD=1.9 |
Me=6.4 SD=2.3 |
|
The self-confidence assessments differ significantly among respondents who give different answers to this question (U = 452.0, p = 0.004, the Mann-Whitney test for two independent samples). Thus, the confidence in answering this question is significantly lower among those respondents who believe that social volunteering is not needed in a country with well-developed social programs. |
||
|
Question 4 |
Yes |
No |
|
Do you think that it is possible that social volunteering is outside the special organization (by the decision of people themselves) or should the volunteers have managers? |
74.9 % |
25.1 % |
|
The average and standard deviation of confidence in the response (10-point scale) |
Me=8.7 SD=1.6 |
Me=7.8 SD=2.4 |
|
According to the Mann-Whitney criterion for two independent samples. there are no significant differences in the assessment of confidence in answering this question between those who think that volunteering is possible outside the organization and those who do not (U = 923.0; p = 0.106). |
||
|
Question 5 |
Yes |
No |
|
Do volunteers need special training? |
61.1 % |
38.9 % |
|
The average and standard deviation of confidence in the response (10-point scale) |
Me=7.4 SD=2.1 |
Me=7.8 SD=1.7 |
|
Between these two groups of respondents (with different answers to the question) there are also no significant differences in the assessment of confidence in the choice of option (U = 998.5, p = 0.450, Mann-Whitney test for two independent samples. |
||
Table 2. Distribution of respondents' answers about career-guidance work in schools they attend
|
Question |
Yes |
No |
|
Was there any career guidance work with you? |
53.2 % |
46.8 % |
|
The average and standard deviation of career guidelines in the response (10-point scale) |
Me=3.6 SD=1.6 |
Me=2.9 SD=1.9 |
Table 3. Distribution of respondents' answers about the possibility for volunteers to be engaged in career guidance work
|
Question |
Yes |
No |
|
Can volunteers provide career guidance? |
77.3 % |
22.7 % |
|
The average and standard deviation of confidence in the response (10-point scale) |
Me=7.7 SD=2.1 |
Me=7.9 SD=2.1 |
Figure 1. The scale of career development assessments in Russia among different groups of respondents: with whom career counseling was conducted and with whom it was not conducted.
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For citing this article:
Pryazhnikov N.S., Almazova O.V., Churbanova S.M. (2017). Vocational guidance in social volunteering. National Psychological Journal. 1, 45-55.
