1. Evolving Experience and Motivation of Older Adults' Long-Term Community Volunteering in Shanghai.
- Author
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Chen, Lin and Tian, Felicia F.
- Subjects
- *
OLDER people , *COMMUNITIES , *SELF-determination theory , *VOLUNTEER service , *VOLUNTEERS - Abstract
Informed by self-determination theory (SDT), this study explores older adults' long-term community volunteering experiences and motivations in Shanghai. We took a qualitative research approach to conduct face-to-face, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with older adults who were long-term volunteers in Shanghai communities (N = 69). We performed thematic analysis and generated themes for their experiences and evolving motivations. Participants began volunteering because it was enjoyable and helped them adapt to life after retirement. As their volunteering progressed, participants' motivations gradually evolved and they developed a fusion motivation––juewu, combining characteristics of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations––for their strong commitment to volunteering. Gradually, participants assimilated juewu into their volunteer identity, which encouraged them to lead community self-governance initiatives. This study sheds light on the evolving, nuanced, underlying motivational process that shapes older adults' experiences of long-term community volunteering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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