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Characteristics of exemplary rural Sandhills youth volunteers
Abstract
In the literature concerning the demographic characteristics of volunteers, discriminators are listed in various ways. Age (24 to 54 years is the highest rate), income (the higher the income, the more volunteering), marital status (married people are more likely to volunteer), religion (the more active religiously, the more volunteering), community size (people from small towns are more likely to volunteer), and the previous rate of volunteering (the more in the past, the more in the future) comprise a unified base. Still under discussion are gender, home ownership, level of education, social class and altruism. From extension educators and superintendents of schools of the 13 counties of the Nebraska Sandhills, a list of exemplary volunteers working with youth was compiled. From this a random and stratified sample of 26 was drawn. Using an interview methodology, information was collected from the subjects. From the findings, age, marital status, rate of previous volunteering, gender, home ownership, level of education, and having children are characteristics of exemplary youth volunteers. Exemplary volunteers in this study have a common expectation of the future: the future of agriculture will be economically difficult but these volunteers will survive by learning needed skills. The early onset of sexual activity, the lack of self-motivation, the lack of appreciating education, the increased rate of divorce and lack of parental time are expressed fears. These volunteers believe that "freed up" parents are relinquishing the raising of their children, while they submerge themselves in activities. Whether couple activities or community activities without end, this relinquishing of parental responsibilities is viewed as destructive to youth. Youth are seen by the subjects as raising themselves on the safe streets of Sandhills towns; cultivating no respect for authority, old-fashioned morals, and societal norms; becoming active sexually at earlier ages; and participating in peer-pressured activities at earlier ages. These exemplary volunteers, with felt time constraints, want training programs which are terse, precise, focused, and accessible through computer technology. They feel they are computer literate, educated, and desirous of quality experiences.
Subject Area
Educational sociology|Agricultural economics|Demographics
Recommended Citation
Williams, Darl Georg, "Characteristics of exemplary rural Sandhills youth volunteers" (1995). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI9528753.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI9528753