Helping Others to Please Themselves:The Impact of Urban Older People's Participation in Community Volunteering on Their Own Well-Being
Based on the activity theory,this study explored the psychological processes connecting older adults'volunteering engagement and their well-being enhancement using interview data from 15 retirees.The findings demonstrate the relationship between participation in community volunteering and older adults'well-being from social and productive dimensions.Firstly,participating in community volunteering expands older adults'social networks and enhances their social integration.Secondly,it also enhances their sense of self-control and satisfies their efficacy as well as emotional needs.Therefore,older adults'well-being can be improved by engaging in volunteering as greater social connectedness reduces the feeling of social isolation and loneliness caused by the loss of previous social roles while better self-control enables them to acquire a positive self-concept and enhance their identification with the new role of volunteers,thus enhancing their sense of well-being.
urban older adultscommunity volunteeringwell-beingsocial networkingsense of self-control
万方数据
