The State of Voluntary Work by Jordanian Youths in Jordanian Families: A Field Study on Volunteers in Voluntary Work Centers

Abstract

The aim of the study was to identify the familial factors that reinforce volunteering culture and support the participation of Jordanian youth in voluntary work. It also aimed to discover the obstacles posed by families affecting youth’s participation in voluntary work that can be attributed to the following variables: gender, age, place of residence, occupation, income level, the educational level of the father, and the educational level of the mother. This study followed a qualitative approach. A descriptive approach was utilized to collect the data. Three hundred and five participants were recruited using the snowball technique. The overall results showed that the role of families in enhancing volunteering culture is major and positive. They revealed that families believe that volunteering helps develop abilities and skills in youths and that families are proud when children participate in voluntary work. Families also believe that volunteering increases their children’s sense of responsibility. As for the obstacles posed by families on voluntary work, the results show that families prefer their children to engage in work that earns money. They also worry that volunteering may affect the youths’ education. Moreover, bad financial circumstances limit families’ encouragement of their children’s participation in voluntary work. Another hindering factor is the absence of former volunteers in the family.

1. Introduction

Jordan is an Arab country located in Southwest Asia. It constitutes the central region of the Middle East, stretching over the southern part of the Levantine area and the northern part of the Arab Peninsula. Its area is 89.213 km², and its population was 10.726 million as of 1 September 2020. It is a small country with limited resources (Jordan Geographical Society 2022). Its families average at 4.8 members (Department of Statistics 2021).

The Jordanian family is an integral part of the Arab community, with the same overall characteristics and surrounding circumstances. It is the core of the social, cultural, and political fabric of Jordanian society. It is the medium between individuals and society. Moreover, families in Jordan are nuclear. According to official laws and social conventions, a family can only be started through a lawful marriage. The relations between family members in Jordan are democratic and allow complete freedom in discussing familial and social issues (Al-Bakkar 2010).

No doubt, family still plays an important role in building the social aspect of children’s character and their views, and in evaluating the conformity of their actions to social values, traditions, and cultural inheritance through the process of socialization. Parents teach their children how to interact with the multiple and varied problems that arise in the society whether they are moral or tangible and which are hard to resolve by the society itself. It is known that building the character of an individual depends on socialization and on the families’ instilment of moral values and the spirit of cooperation and teamwork in children from a young age. It is especially important that all religious and social value systems encourage people to be cooperative and benevolent, and to give and help others. Parents are responsible for instilling the spirit of volunteerism in their children from a young age by giving them the opportunity and urging them to participate in voluntary work, as well as showing appreciation for their contributions, no matter the type or size. This way, voluntary work becomes a habit in children, akin to any other positive habit.

Voluntary work has become a necessity to alleviate the suffering of people in society and make up for the failure of governments to meet their people’s needs. Moreover, voluntary work has been strongly associated with goodness and good deeds in all human societies since ancient times, due to its being a humane act. In addition, it plants the spirit of humanity in members of society; volunteering helps one’s society, and it is a noble act that bespeaks generosity, selflessness, and solidarity. The status quo in all countries suggests the dire need for voluntary work in all societies, because of the immense pressure on governments, who find themselves unable to provide all the essential needs of their people.

Voluntary work is often viewed as a personal matter. It is also considered something that people do in their spare time for various personal reasons. However, it is determined by a group of external factors, including family. Stuart (2019) points that family affects how an individual volunteers and determines the reasons behind volunteering. It may also be the reason that someone stops participating in voluntary work. Studies have demonstrated that having a member of the family who does voluntary work increases the likelihood of other members doing the same. Ellis Paine et al. (2020) states that a parent having volunteered in the past bears on the likelihood of other members volunteering in the future. He also states that members volunteering together can strengthen the relationships in the family. Families guide children and urge them to do certain things. They may also prevent children from doing things, or encourage them to do other things, such as participating in voluntary work, based on what the parents believe in. Therefore, the participation of children in voluntary work, as well as the extent of their participation, depends largely on support from the family and the encouragement of children to participate in solving society’s problems, through urging them to spend time, energy, and effort in the voluntary work that society needs. Shweihat et al. (2019) pointed out that there are obstacles to the participation of children in voluntary work as a result of the absence of family awareness of the importance of voluntary work toward the development of the society. The educational levels of parents also affect the participation of children in the practice of volunteerism (Hussein 2014). These obstacles may be due to the culture in society, which reflects a lack of awareness of the importance of voluntary work. The participation of children relies on the support and encouragement they gain from their families to participate in the voluntary work society needs, whether their contributions be moral, physical, or financial. Voluntary work enhances the positive relation of children with their society. In addition, volunteering lets parents and children see one another in roles other than those of typical families (Cobb 2021), especially if parents and children volunteer together. Generosity begins in childhood and grows with the individual in the presence of a suitable family environment that motivates children to help others and sacrifice for them, which helps children to develop their moral values. It also helps them pass their time in useful ways inside and outside the house, instead of wasting time on electronic devices that have many negative effects.

Therefore, the aim of the study was to identify the role of families in their children’s participation in voluntary work. It also aimed to identify the familial factors that enhance and promote the volunteering culture among Jordanian youths and support their participation in such work. These factors are related to families’ belief in the importance of volunteering for their children. The study also aimed to identify the obstacles that families may pose which impact their children’s participation in voluntary work, which contribute to the decreasing the rate of their contribution to such work. These may be attributable to families’ negative views of voluntary work because of the belief that voluntary work is not important for young people.

2. Study Significance

This study is considered significant for many theoretical and practical reasons:

In terms of theory, this is one of few studies that specialize in the familial factors involved in voluntary work. It also deals with the obstacles posed by families, which is a specialized topic focusing on families in particular. This topic has not been studied in Jordan or in the Arab world. Therefore, it constitutes an addition to the Arabic literature and will be the starting point for conducting future studies that focus on the family and its significant role in voluntary work, since families are the bridge that individuals must pass over before they start volunteering.

2.1. Study Objectives

• To identify the familial factors that reinforce volunteering culture and promote the participation of Jordanian youths in voluntary work.
• To identify the obstacles that families pose which affect youths’ participation in voluntary work.
• To investigate whether there are statistically significant differences in the role of families in reinforcing the culture of volunteerism in youths when considering the following variables: gender, age, place of residence, occupation, income level, the educational level of the father, and the educational level of the mother.
• To investigate whether there are statistically significant differences in the severity of familial obstacles affecting youths’ participation in voluntary work when considering the following variables: gender, age, place of residence, occupation, income level, the educational level of the father, and the educational level of the mother.

2.2. Questions of the Research

• What are the familial factors that reinforce volunteering culture and promote the participation of Jordanian youths in voluntary work?
• What are the familial obstacles affecting youths’ participation in voluntary work?
• Are there statistically significant differences in the role of families in reinforcing the culture of volunteerism in youths when considering the following variables: gender, age, place of residence, occupation, income level, the educational level of the father, and the educational level of the mother?
• Are there statistically significant differences in the severity of familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work when considering the following variables: gender, age, place of residence, occupation, income level, the educational level of the father, and the educational level of the mother?

2.3. Key Definitions

Volunteering:

Voluntary work was defined as “work that an individual performs to achieve certain social goals, not expecting any reward, payment, share in the prophets, or personal gains in return (Al-Khatib 2002, p. 54).

Volunteer: refers to a person who has a particular skill and uses it to perform a social duty willingly and by choice, not receiving any return of any kind (Hamza 2021).

3. Literature Review

3.1. Theoretical Framework and Previous Studies

Motivations for voluntary work: the motivations behind volunteering can be either conscious or subconscious. Conscious ones include volunteers’ desire to spend their free time in a beneficial way, and their desire to make friends and establish social relations. Examples of subconscious ones include the inherent desire to feel more secure, to prove oneself, and to feel that one belongs, as well as a love of being seen doing something good. There are also humane motivations for volunteering; everyone has a disposition toward benevolence, and this is expressed in different ways, such as wanting to serve humanity, alleviate their suffering, and help those in need. People may also express their patriotism through voluntary work (Al-Mutairi et al. 2020). Moreover, ideological factors related to politics and political parties play a role in the participation of an individual in voluntary work. Religious factors may be some of the most important ones; some people want to please God through helping those in need and checking if they need anything. Allah said, “And give food—despite their desire for it—to the poor, the orphan, and the captive.” Prophet Muhammad said, “The most beloved of deeds to Allah is making a Muslim happy, or relieving him of hardship, or paying off his debt, or warding off hunger from him.” In Islam, voluntary work is an act of sufficiency. In addition, the desire to be a role model for children may motivate one to volunteer (Hamza 2021). Nesbit’s (2012) study suggested that there is a relation between religious involvement in childhood and a high rate of participation in voluntary work later in life. This supports the importance of religion in motivating people to volunteer.

3.2. Levels of Voluntary Work

There are multiple levels of voluntary work. First, voluntary work can be performed directly to the targeted categories. Second, some types of voluntary work are indirect. Furthermore, participation may take place on the level of policymaking in local communities or at institutions.

Participation may take place on the administrative level. It may include offering a service, through working directly or indirectly to serve the people. Finally, a volunteer may give counsel (Al-Nabulsi 2010).

The benefits of voluntary work:

Voluntary work has many benefits for volunteers:

3.3. The Sense of Responsibility

Volunteering teaches commitment to children. Eventually, they will realize that they all have responsibilities toward their community.

One person can make a difference, and a great message that gives confidence to children is that they are important enough to have an influence on a person or element of society.

3.4. The Importance of Sacrifice

Sacrificing involves letting go of selfishness and self-absorbedness.

3.5. Embracing Differences

Volunteering can connect young people to others from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and age groups. This way, they will learn that even extremely different individuals can be united by common values.

3.6. Skills Needed for Work

Volunteering to serve the community can help young people make decisions about their future careers, by helping them acquire skills that could be useful in their future jobs (Kids Health Medical Experts 2022).

3.7. Obstacles for Volunteering

Some obstacles to volunteering are related to the volunteer. These include the time available for the volunteer, fear of responsibility and commitment, low income, a lack of training for volunteering activities, and rejection from institutions running volunteer work (Al-Bakkar et al. 2017). In addition, being preoccupied with studying can prevent young people from volunteering. They may also be dissuaded by the lack of moral or financial incentives (Al-Mutairi et al. 2020). Families’ views regarding the benefits of volunteering for their children can also be an obstacle; some families believe that voluntary work is a waste of time, and that paid work is better, especially if the economic conditions of the family are bad. A family may also object to their children’s participation in voluntary work for fear that this may affect their education (Hamza 2021). This is the case in Arab countries, including Jordan, whose youth suffer from unemployment and low levels of family income. Moreover, some studies suggest that families may prevent females from doing voluntary work due to traditions that limit females’ freedom and their participation in public life, including in voluntary work. This was shown by the results of some studies that investigated the obstacles to volunteer work in Jordan (Al-Bakkar et al. 2017; Aqtam 2014; Shweihat et al. 2019).

3.8. The Role of Families in Spreading Volunteering Culture

Families play a significant role in society. They are the first environment in which children grow and their characters develop. They also determine children’s behavior. Therefore, parents have a big and important responsibility to encourage their children to volunteer from a very young age and instill the values of charity work in them. The participation of parents in voluntary work can also play a role because they are role models for their children. In fact, many studies show that there is a strong relation between parents volunteering and the likelihood of their children volunteering; children of such parents are likely to volunteer in early childhood (Perks and Knoecny 2015). Similarly, siblings and grandparents can influence children, meaning they can pass on values and behavioral patterns that encourage voluntary work. Therefore, if siblings or grandparents volunteer, children will likely follow in their steps (Taylor-Collins et al. 2019).

On the other hand, many studies indicate the presence of impediments to voluntary work posed by families, who may object to their children, especially females, participating in such work. This is due to social traditions that encourage women to stay home, in order to protect them and their reputation, and discourage them from engaging in activities outside the house not considered important by the family. This is due to these families’ ignorance of the fields that women may volunteer in, like healthcare, training, education, and disaster relief.

According to the ecological systems theory, it is not possible to understand a person’s actions without examining his or her environment, for people both shape and are shaped by their environment. Therefore, the theory was based on the idea that people are the inevitable product of their environment. They are born and live their lives in it. Consequently, human behavior cannot be studied separately from the surrounding environment.

Therefore, it is important to study the role of the family in the extent of the participation of their children in voluntary work (Abd al-Razzaq and Abd Rabuh 2020).

The theory states that children’s participation in voluntary work is the result of the efforts of two sides: the living being (the child) on the one hand, and the environment (family) on the other hand. Moreover, the interaction of a living being with its environment causes changes in both, and the best interactions are those that result in the growth and development of the living being and, at the same time, improve the surrounding environment.

To the best of the knowledge of the researchers, Arabic studies on the direct role that family plays in volunteering have been very scarce. For this reason, the studies that have been chosen here were those in which one of the topics dealt with was the influence of family on children’s volunteering activities. On the other hand, Western studies that directly tackle this topic are common. Some of them have been referred to, taking into account the difference between Arab and Western cultures regarding many topics, including volunteering (Al-Yousef 2005). Some of the studies referred to include the following:

• A study by Mohammed (2021), titled “A Proposed Schematic Conception to Activate the Participation of University Youth in Volunteer Work.” This study aimed to encourage university students to participate in voluntary work through identifying the personal and environmental obstacles that hinder the volunteering behavior of youths. The data were collected using a social survey method, and the survey questionnaire was administered to a random sample of youths who attend Aswan University in the Sahara, comprising 207 students. One of the most important conclusions of the study was that there are personal and environmental obstacles to the volunteering behavior of youths. Some of them include: people knowing little about voluntary work, society looking unfavorably on some volunteers, and families not teaching their children the importance of volunteering.
• A study by Al-Mutairi et al. (2020), titled “The Attitudes of Students of the University of Hail Towards Volunteering and Ways to Activate it Within the Vision of 2030 in Light of Some Variables.” One of this study’s goals was to discover the motivations behind, and the obstacles to, participating in voluntary work. The study employed a descriptive method and was conducted on a random sample consisting of 1172 students. Amongst the main conclusions of the study are that the motives behind participating in voluntary work include the desire to serve the community and making use of one’s abilities and talents in voluntary work. The most important obstacles are preoccupation with education and the lack of moral and financial incentives in volunteering.
• A study by Bisri (2019), titled “The Role of the Family in Instilling the Values of Volunteer Work Among Its Children in Light of Vision 2030 and Its Relationship with the Management of Change.” Some of this study’s goals included identifying the demographic variables with the biggest impact on the role of family in instilling the values of volunteer work in children, and identifying the dimensions with the biggest influence on the instillation of the values of volunteer work. The study was performed in Saudi Arabia and used the analytical descriptive method. The sample comprised 240 families, chosen through accidental purposive sampling. The most important conclusions of the study include the presence of statistically significant differences in the instillation of volunteering values with regard to the family’s monthly income and the educational levels of the parents. The results show that there is a difference in the relative weights of the most influential factors on the instillation of the values of volunteer work: the individual came first, followed by the family, then by society.
• A study by Shweihat et al. (2019), titled “Severity Degree of Voluntarism Obstacles Socially and Culturally from Perspective of Students of German-Jordanian University and Kuwait University.” The goal of this study was to determine the severity of the social and cultural voluntarism obstacles in Arab communities from the perspective of the students of the German Jordanian University (Jordan) and Kuwait University (Kuweit). The analytical descriptive method was used, and the study was performed on sample of 780 students. The results showed that obstacles to volunteering are those attributed to a community’s culture. The findings also showed a lack of family awareness of the importance of voluntary work in development. The results also revealed a difference across genders in the favor of male participants. Similarly, there was a difference in volunteering participation attributed to whether other family members have volunteered in the past. Male participants who had not volunteered in the past seemed to be favored in this aspect.
• A study by Wehbe (2017), titled “The Family support for the participation of young people in voluntary work with charities and its relationship by their management of the some of resources.” The study followed a descriptive method, and the sample consisted of 300 youths volunteering in charitable institutions. The most important conclusions were the following: there was a positive correlation between family support and youths’ participation in voluntary work in charitable institutions. There was also a statistically significant difference between male and female volunteers, as well as between youths living in the city and those living in the countryside, in terms of the moral support they received. In addition, the study suggested that the monthly income of a family bears on the rate of participation. Finally, the study recommends that families instill the culture of volunteerism in children through socialization, and that they support and motivate their children to participate in voluntary work.
• A study by Aqtam (2014), titled “Obstacles for Women Participation in Voluntary Work—from the Perspective of Volunteers and Workers in NGOs in Nablus Governorate.” This study followed the descriptive analytical approach. The sample consisted of 67 female volunteers and was obtained through non-probability sampling from seven voluntary institutions. The study revealed that the biggest obstacles to women’s volunteering are social and cultural. Moreover, there were statistically significant differences in the size of volunteering obstacles between different genders and places of residence. The study also revealed a lack of familial encouragement and familial awareness of the meaning of volunteering, as well as interference from the family and husband.
• A study by Hussein (2014), titled “Voluntary Work and Its Impact on Administrative Capacity among Young People.” This study aimed to discover the effects of familial factors on the awareness of youths, their participation in voluntary work, and their management abilities. It followed the analytical descriptive method. The sample included 276 male and female youth’s volunteers in voluntary organizations in Cairo (Egypt). There were statistically significant differences in youths’ awareness and rate of participation in volunteering with regard to the educational level of each parent and average income, and the results showed that the educational level of the mother was the most influential factor on the participation of children in volunteer work.
• A study by Stuart (2019), which reviewed 232 studies and articles that discuss the relation between family and volunteering, was published over the last 30 years in the United Kingdom. One of its goals was to discover how family status and family dynamics affect volunteering. The study was intended to be used to support organizations that involve volunteers and want to enhance or develop family members’ volunteering opportunities. According to the study, there is a positive relationship between marriage and voluntary work, as married people are more likely to volunteer, especially if their spouses are volunteers. Moreover, the study reveals that children’s participation in voluntary work increases the chance of parents’ participation. In contrast, divorce leads to a decrease in participation due to the loss of social relationships and networks. The study shows that family has a big effect on children’s participation in voluntary work and that parents breaking up during childhood can bear on children’s values and opportunity to have a role model.
• Malinen and Mankkinen (2018) conducted a survey related to social work in the United Kingdom in 2015. The results show that family can play an important role in encouraging members to volunteer. In fact, 63% of people within the age range of 10-20 volunteering in purposeful social work said that their families had encouraged them to participate. The survey revealed that some families provided support, which helped their children stay in voluntary work. Therefore, according to this survey, family is an important facilitator of volunteering. However, it may be an obstacle, as the results show that social and economic status, as well as education, religion, gender, and ethnicity, affect families and people’s ability to volunteer.
• A study by Hamzah et al. (2016), titled “Understanding the Reasons for Malaysian Youth Participation in Volunteering Activities.” These researchers studied the variables that pertain to Malaysian youths’ participation in volunteer work. The sample was chosen from the Department of Youth and Sports in Malaysia and included 251 participants in the age range of 15–25. The study showed that there are three main factors that play a role in young people’s participation in voluntary work, which include the expected benefits of volunteering, personal needs satisfied by volunteering, and personal reasons to volunteer. According to the study, expected benefits include learning to take responsibility, broadening of interests, strengthening relationships, building a teamwork spirit, and socializing with the community, which provide encouragement to participate. As for the need to volunteer, it is associated with wanting to put one’s leadership abilities to use and to improve communication skills. The reasons to volunteer comprise spending one’s free time in a useful way, gaining experience, enhancing self-esteem and confidence, achieving emotional stability, and understanding life better.
• Nesbit (2012) conducted a study on the effect of family on volunteers’ personal choices. It aimed to discover how living with volunteers influences one’s decision to volunteer. The data were taken from the 2005 Current Population Survey’s Volunteering Supplement. The study tested whether living with volunteers prompts an individual to volunteer and whether living with people who have never volunteered decreases the likelihood of volunteering. According to the results, living with volunteers dramatically increases the probability of volunteering, particularly with regard to religious volunteering. Moreover, the number of household volunteers positively correlates with the likelihood of volunteering. As for those who live with people who have never volunteered, they are less likely to volunteer themselves, and if they do, they tend to spend less time volunteering. In addition, the study showed that living with volunteers leads to more variety in the ways in which people participate in voluntary work.

4. Methodology and Procedure

4.1. Methodology

This study followed a descriptive approach, which was used to review the most important works in the literature regarding the topic of this study, starting from sampling and ending with statistical analysis (Al-Amrani 2012).

4.2. The Study’s Community and Its Sample

The sample was chosen from the volunteering youths at volunteering centers in Jordan using snowball sampling. It consisted of 305 male and female volunteers, from many voluntary institutions.

Table 1. Distribution of the sample individuals according to demographic variables.

Variable	Frequency	Percentage
Sex
Male	52	17.0
Female	253	83.0
Total	305	100.0
Age
22–18 years	147	48.2
27–23 years	88	28.9
32–28 years	36	11.8
33 years or older	34	11.1
Total	305	100.0
Place of residence
City	226	74.1
Village	70	23.0
Encampment	9	3.0
Total	305	100.0
Occupation
Full-time student	115	37.7
Part-time employee	23	7.5
Full-time employee	31	10.2
Full-time volunteer	60	19.7
Employee and volunteer	76	24.9
Total	305	100.0
Monthly Income in Jordanian dinars
Less than 500	157	51.5
700–500	85	27.9
900–701	24	7.9
901–1100	15	4.9
1101	24	7.9
Total	305	100.0
Educational Level of the Father
High school or below	137	44.9
Intermediate diploma	53	17.4
Bachelor’s degree	94	30.8
Postgraduate degree	21	6.9
Total	305	100.0
Educational Level of the Mother
High school or below	147	48.2
Intermediate diploma	73	23.9
Bachelor’s degree	67	22.0
Postgraduate degree	18	5.9
Total	305	100.0

details the demographic characteristics of the sample individuals.

4.3. Data Collection

Data were collected using a scale called the Scale of the State of Youths’ Voluntary Work in Jordanian Families. Previous studies in the field were referred to while designing the scale to suit the purposes of the current study. It consisted of two parts:

The first part consisted of demographic information, which included gender, age, place of residence, occupation, monthly income in Jordanian dinars, educational level of the father, and educational level of the mother.

The second part consisted of a questionnaire, which comprised 38 questions. The scale used was a four-point Likert scale that included the following dimensions:

• The first dimension was regarding the familial factors that reinforce the culture of volunteering in youths. It comprised 20 questions.
• The second dimension was regarding the familial obstacles to youths’ volunteering. It comprised 18 questions.

4.4. Reliability and Validity

Validity of the Research Tool: After the questions for the scale had been composed, the scale was given to a group of judges who were instructors specialized in sociology, measurement and evaluation at Al-Balqaa’ Applied University. They evaluated the validity and clarity of the content of the scale’s items and their suitability for the purpose of the scale. Then the judges proposed the appropriate modifications to satisfy an item validity criterion of 80%. Based on the judges’ opinions, some items were then reworded for clarity. Moreover, some were deleted because of their similarity with others or the unsuitability of their dimension. Consequently, 38 items remained, divided into two main dimensions. The judges expressed that they would like to interact with the scale, which indicated its face validity.

Reliability of the Research Tool: To calculate the reliability of the research tool, Cronbach’s alpha was used.

Table 2. Reliability coefficients of the research tool’s items calculated using Cronbach’s alpha.

The Variables	Kronbach Alpha Coefficient
Familial factors that reinforce volunteering culture in youths	0.961
Familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work	0.974
Total	0.818

shows the results.

As can be seen in Table 2, the values of Cronbach’s alpha for the scale’s two dimensions were 0.961 and 0.974, and its value for the scale as a whole was 0.818.

The Scale’s Scoring Key:

The Likert’s scale used in the study was gradated in conformity with the rules of constructing scales as strongly agree = 4, agree = 3, disagree = 2, strongly disagree = 1, therefore, the mean averages of the study were calculated as follows:

The maximum value − minimum value (/) divided by number of levels.

(4 − 1)/3 = 3/3 = 1.00

The resulting value equals the range of each level.

The low level is between 1.00 and 2.00. The medium level is between 2.00 and 3.00. The high level is between 3.00 and 4.00.

4.5. Statistical Analysis

The frequencies and percentages were calculated, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Cronbach’s alpha were applied to the data. The means and standard deviations were also calculated to find out the level of the participants’ responses to the items and dimensions of the study. In addition, the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and Scheffe’s post-hoc comparison test were used.

4.6. Variables of the Study

The study included many variables:

• Independent variables: The independent variables were gender, age, place of residence, occupation, income, the educational level of the father, and the educational level of the mother.
• Dependent variables:

The dependent variables were the following:

-

The familial factors that reinforce volunteering culture in youths

-

The familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work.

5. Discussion and Results

The mean averages and standard deviations were calculated to find out the level of the participants’ responses to the questions regarding the state of voluntary work by Jordanian youths in Jordanian families. Here are the answers given to the following questions:

What are the familial factors that reinforce volunteering culture in youth?

What are the familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work?

Results for the first question: what are the familial factors that reinforce volunteering culture in youth?

To answer this question, the means and standard deviations were calculated to find out the level of the participants’ responses to the questions related to the familial factors that reinforce volunteering culture in youths.

Table 3. Means and standard deviations of the responses of the study’s participants to the items included in “the familial factors that reinforce volunteering culture in youth,” listed in descending order by level.

Number	Item	Mean	Standard Deviation	Order	Level
3	My family believe that volunteering develops abilities and skills.	3.47	0.67	1	High
7	My family is proud of my participation in voluntary work.	3.46	0.70	2	High
11	My family affirm that volunteering increases the sense of responsibility.	3.45	0.68	3	High
12	My family believe that volunteering is in agreement with the teachings of our religion.	3.45	0.65	3	High
5	My family believe that volunteering helps youths channel their energy into beneficial work and keeps them from going astray.	3.42	0.70	5	High
10	My family believe that volunteering reinforces social solidarity values.	3.37	0.70	6	High
2	My family are aware of the importance of my volunteering.	3.35	0.75	7	High
1	My family morally incentivize me to volunteer.	3.34	0.73	8	High
8	My family agree with my continuing to participate in voluntary work.	3.34	0.73	8	High
14	My family appreciate me when I participate in voluntary work.	3.34	0.74	8	High
4	My family affirm that volunteering reinforces my belonging to my community.	3.33	0.78	11	High
6	My family believe that volunteering helps youths develop their character.	3.33	0.77	12	High
16	My family believe that volunteering can help in finding job opportunities.	3.3	0.78	13	High
15	My family make it easy for me to participate in voluntary work.	3.29	0.74	14	High
9	My family prefer that my volunteering be in specific hours.	3.24	0.74	15	High
13	My family are interested in following my participation in voluntary work.	3.22	0.81	16	High
20	My family direct me toward some voluntary work.	3.11	0.84	17	High
19	My family make sure that my siblings participate in voluntary work.	3.01	0.87	18	High
18	My parents donate money in the field of volunteering.	2.98	0.88	19	Medium
17	My parents participate in voluntary work.	2.76	0.98	20	Medium
	Total mean	3.28	0.58		High

demonstrates this.

As seen in Table 3, the means of the familial factors that reinforce volunteering culture in youths’ ranged from 2.76 to 3.47, and the total mean of all the factors was 3.28, which falls in the high-level range. Item 3, “My family believe that volunteering develops abilities and skills,” had the biggest mean of 3.47, which falls in the high range, and a standard deviation of 0.67. Item 7, “My family is proud of my participation in voluntary work,” came second with a mean of 3.46, which is in the high-level range, and a standard deviation of 0.70. The third highest mean was that of Item 11, which was 3.45and falls in the high range. The standard deviation of this item, which says, “My family affirm that volunteering increases the sense of responsibility,” was 0.68.

On the other hand, Item 17, “My parents participate in voluntary work,” came last with a mean of 2.76, which puts it in the medium level, and a standard deviation of 0.98. In the penultimate position was Item 18, “My parents donate money in the field of volunteering,” with a mean of 2.98, which puts it in the medium range, and a standard deviation of 0.88.

Results for the second question: what are the familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work?

To answer this question, the means and standard deviations were calculated to find out the level of the participants’ responses to the questions related to the familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work and

Table 4. Means and standard deviations of the responses of the study’s participants to the items included in “the familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work” listed in descending order by level.

Number	Item	Mean	Standard Deviation	Order	Level
17	My family would prefer that I get a paid job.	2.31	1.01	1	Medium
11	My family worry that volunteering might affect my education.	2.19	0.97	2	Medium
10	Bad financial circumstances limit my family’s encouragement of me to volunteer.	2.14	0.98	3	Medium
16	My family fear that I might work with strangers during volunteering,	2.02	0.89	4	Medium
12	My family do not distinguish voluntary work and charity work.	1.99	0.91	5	Low
15	My absence during voluntary work makes my family anxious.	1.99	0.88	5	Low
4	My family members do not want to volunteer.	1.90	0.83	7	Low
8	My family consider volunteering a financial burden.	1.90	0.90	7	Low
9	My family do not financially incentivize me to volunteer.	1.90	0.87	7	Low
5	My family do not know the importance of voluntary work.	1.87	0.85	10	Low
3	My family do not place a high value on volunteering.	1.86	0.83	11	Low
1	My family believe there are no benefits to volunteering.	1.84	0.85	12	Low
7	My family believe that serving the community is the responsibility of the government rather than young people.	1.84	0.84	12	Low
2	My family do not support voluntary work.	1.82	0.84	14	Low
6	My family affirm that volunteering decreases the chances of getting new job opportunities.	1.82	0.81	14	Low
14	My family believe that volunteering is a waste of time.	1.82	0.86	14	Low
18	The culture of volunteering is lacking in my family.	1.81	0.84	17	Low
13	My family undervalue my voluntary work.	1.80	0.84	18	Low
	Total mean	1.93	0.73		Low

demonstrates this.

As seen in Table 4, the means of the familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work ranged from 2.31 to 1.80, and the total mean of the obstacles was 1.93, which falls in the low-level range. Item 17, “My family would prefer that I get a paid job,” had the highest mean of 2.31, which falls in the medium range, and a standard deviation of 1.01. Item 11, “My family worry that volunteering might affect my education,” came second with a mean of 2.19, which is in the medium range, and a standard deviation of 0.97. Item 10, “Bad financial circumstances limit my family’s encouragement of me to volunteer,” came third with a mean of 2.14, which is in the medium range, and a standard deviation of 0.98.

On the other hand, Item 13, “My family undervalue my voluntary work,” came last, with a mean of 1.80, which falls in the low range, and a standard deviation of 0.84. Item 18, “The culture of volunteering is lacking in my family,” occupied the penultimate position, with a mean of 1.81, which falls in the low range, and a standard deviation of 0.84.

Results for the third question: are there statistically significant differences in the role of families in reinforcing the culture of volunteerism in youths when considering the following variables: gender, age, place of residence, occupation, income level, the educational level of the father, and the educational level of the mother?

To answer the third question, MANOVA was used to find out whether or not there were differences in the level of the familial factors that reinforce volunteering culture in youths when considering the following variables: gender, age, place of residence, occupation, income level, the educational level of the father, and the educational level of mother.

Table 5. MANOVA test of the difference in the level of the familial factors that reinforce volunteering culture in youths when considering the demographic variables.

Variable	Sum of Squares	Degrees of Freedom (df)	Mean of Squares	The F Value	Statistical Significance (Sig.)
Gender	0.863	1	0.863	2.616	0.107
Age	1.892	3	0.631	1.912	0.128
Place of residence	0.806	2	0.403	1.221	0.296
Occupation	2.472	4	0.618	1.873	0.115
Income	1.178	4	0.295	0.893	0.469
Educational level of father	1.856	3	0.619	1.875	0.134
Educational level of mother	0.143	3	0.048	0.145	0.933
Error	93.701	284	0.33
Total	3379.325	305
Corrected total	102.603	304

demonstrates this.

The results shown in Table 5 indicate that there are no statistically significant differences in the level of familial factors that reinforce volunteering culture in youths attributable to gender, age, place of residence, occupation, income level, the educational level of the father, or the educational level of the mother. The F statistics for these factors were 2.616, 1.912, 1.221, 1.873, 0.893, 1.875, and 0.145, respectively. They are not statistically significant at the alpha level 0.05, which indicates that in this sample, the level of the familial factors enhancing volunteering culture in youths was consistent across all of the demographic variables.

Results for the fourth question: are there statistically significant differences in the severity of familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work when considering the following variables: gender, age, place of residence, occupation, income level, the educational level of the father, and the educational level of the mother?

To answer the fourth question, MANOVA was used to find out whether there are statistically significant differences in the level of familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work when considering the following variables: gender, age, place of residence, occupation, income level, the educational level of the father, and the educational level of the mother.

Table 6. MANOVA test of the difference in the level of the familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work when considering the demographic variables.

Variable	Sum of Squares	Degrees of Freedom (df)	Mean of Squares	The F Value	Statistical Significance (Sig.)
Gender	0.017	1	0.017	0.032	0.857
Age	3.608	3	1.203	2.285	0.079
Place of residence	1.95	2	0.975	1.852	0.159
Occupation	2.315	4	0.579	1.099	0.357
Income	1.023	4	0.256	0.486	0.746
Educational level of the father	4.373	3	1.458	2.769	0.042 *
Educational level of the mother	0.608	3	0.203	0.385	0.764
Error	149.514	284	0.526
Total	1304.083	305
Corrected total	162.557	304

*: significant at α = 0.05.

demonstrates this.

The results in Table 6 show that there are no statistically significant differences in the level of familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work when considering the following variables: age, gender, place of residence, occupation, income level, educational level of the father, and educational level of the mother. The F statistics for these variables 0.032, 2.285, 1.852, 1.099, 0.486, and 0.385, respectively. These values are not statistically significant at the alpha level 0.05, which indicates a consistent level of the familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work in the sample regardless of demographic variables.

The results indicate that there are differences in the level of familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work attributed to variance in the educational level of fathers. To find out the significance of the differences, Scheffe’s post-hoc comparison test was used.

Table 7. Results of Scheffe’s post-hoc test, used to find the source of the differences in the level of familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work attributed to variance in the educational level of fathers.

(I)	(J)	Mean Difference (I-J)	Statistical Significance (Sig.)
Educational Level of the Father	Educational Level of the Father
High school or below	Intermediate diploma	0.21247	0.072
	Bachelor’s degree	0.06328	0.516
	Postgraduate degree	0.35403 *	0.039 *
Intermediate diploma	High school or below	(−)0.21247-	0.072
	Bachelor’s degree	(−)0.14919-	0.233
	Postgraduate degree	0.14156	0.451
Bachelor’s degree	High school or below	(−)0.06328-	0.516
	Intermediate diploma	0.14919	0.233
	Postgraduate degree	0.29075	0.099
Postgraduate degree	High school or below	(−)0.35403- *	0.039 *
	Intermediate diploma	(−)0.14156-	0.451
	Bachelor’s degree	(−)0.29075-	0.099

*: significant at α = 0.05.

demonstrates this.

The results of Scheffe’s test shown in Table 7 show that differences in the level of familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work occurred when the educational level of the father was high school or below.

6. Conclusions

1.

Discussion of the results for the first question: what are the familial factors that reinforce volunteering culture in youth?

The results related to the familial factors that reinforce youths’ participation in voluntary work show that these factors’ effects are high, positive, and very influential. These factors include families’ belief that volunteering develops youths’ abilities and skills and their pride in their children’s participation in voluntary work. The researchers attribute these results to Jordanian families’ high level of awareness of the importance and effectiveness of volunteering and its benefits for both the community and the volunteering youths. Another highly influential familial factor according to the current study is that volunteering develops one’s sense of responsibility according to Jordanian families. The researchers attribute this to the fact that Jordanian families stress the idea that youths should manifest true belonging to their community, which should not be expressed merely in mottos. Volunteering is an action conducted without financial gain in return, and Jordanian families raise their children to shoulder their responsibilities within the community. They are also aware of the importance of shouldering one’s responsibilities for individuals and the community, as developing a sense of responsibility toward the community is a social and personal necessity, because all components of society need responsible youths. These results conform to the ecological systems theory, which states that people are shaped by their environment, which develops their sense of competence and a persistent motivation to work. In other words, familial environment can solidify or diminish a behavior (Abd al-Razzaq and Abd Rabuh 2020). This study also agrees to Wehbe’s (2017) findings, which indicated a positive correlation between familial support and youths’ participation in voluntary work. This study also agrees with Stuart (2019) and Malinen and Mankkinen (2018), whose results both suggest that family plays a significant role in children’s participation in voluntary work. However, the results of the current study do not conform to Muhammad (Hamza 2021), whose results show that one of the obstacles to volunteering is families’ not teaching their kids the importance of participating in voluntary work.

Families are a pillar of society. They develop a person’s sense of responsibility. This is evident in families that encourage youths’ participation in voluntary work and believe that this will bring about positive changes in these youths’ personalities. This contributes to youths’ increasing active involvement in the growth and development of their communities. Therefore, Jordanian families clearly believe that the commendable trait of being responsible can only be developed through practice.

One of the medium-level familial factors was the lack of families’ financial support of their volunteering children. This can decrease the participation of youths in voluntary work. Perhaps this can be attributed to a family’s low average income being hardly sufficient in fulfilling their essential needs, including nutrition, education, and healthcare. This result conforms to a study by Al-Mutairi et al. (2020), according to which, one of the most important obstacles is not giving volunteers moral or financial incentives.

2.

Discussion of the results for the second question: what are the familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work?

The obstacle associated with the highest mean was Jordanian families preferring that their children seek paid work. The researchers attribute this to Jordanian families’ belief that working comes first for their children. Moreover, this is the result of middle-class families not being able to financially support their children’s volunteer work. This conforms to findings from Al-Mutairi et al. (2020), which indicate that one of the obstacles to volunteering for youths’ is not giving them financial incentives. However, this does not conform to the conclusions of Malinen and Mankkinen (2018), who suggest that families play a role in encouraging their children to volunteer, and that some families support their children to help them continue participating in voluntary work.

One of the high-level familial obstacles to volunteering was that families worry volunteering might affect their children’s education. This suggests that Jordanian families are aware of the importance of education in their children’s life and consider it a priority for Arab and Jordanian people. Bad financial circumstances are another obstacle. They limit families’ ability to encourage volunteering. This clearly demonstrates the importance of the financial dimension in enhancing youths’ participation in voluntary work. This agrees with a study by Shweihat et al. (2019), which showed that one of the obstacles facing volunteering is the inability to give financial support to help volunteers afford their needs. Another familial obstacle found to be significant in this study was the lack of volunteering culture in families. This agrees with a study by Shweihat et al. (2019), which indicated the lack of familial awareness of the importance of volunteering in instigating growth. This also conforms to the conclusions made by Aqtam (2014), according to whom one of the obstacles to women’s participation is the lack of familial encouragement and awareness of the meaning of volunteering.

These results indicate that there is a discrepancy between the culture of Arab and Western societies to address the subject from different angles regarding the impact of the family on the participation of children in volunteer work. It should be noted that the interest and results of Western studies were focused on the impact of the family with regard to relationship between marriage and volunteer work, the impact of family disintegration by divorce or separation, and the issue of the extent to which children are interested in volunteer work. Western studies also showed concern about the participation of parents in volunteer work with their children and how this participation can have a positive impact on the children’s willingness to participate as well. As our results show, we found that the Jordanian family, which is part of the fabric of Arab culture, understands the importance of volunteer work and supports it, but the low income of a family and fear for the future of the children have a great impact on the extent of the family’s inability to support children’s participation in volunteer work.

3.

Results for the third question: are there statistically significant differences in the role of families in reinforcing the culture of volunteerism in youths when considering the following variables: gender, age, place of residence, occupation, income level, the educational level of the father, and the educational level of the mother?

The results indicate that there are no statistically significant differences in the levels of the familial factors that enhance volunteering culture in youths when considering the following variables: gender, age, place of residence, occupation, income level, the educational level of the father, and the educational level of the mother. This indicates that the levels of the familial factors enhancing volunteering culture in youths are consistent across all of the demographic variables.

4.

Results for the fourth question: are there statistically significant differences in the severity of familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work when considering the following variables: gender, age, place of residence, occupation, income level, the educational level of the father, and the educational level of the mother?

The results indicate that there are no statistically significant differences in the level of familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work when considering the following variables: age, gender, place of residence, occupation, income level, the educational level of the father, and educational level of the mother. This indicates a consistent level of familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work in the sample, regardless of demographic variables. This contradicts the results of Aqtam (2014) and Hussein (2014), which both suggest that there are statistically significant differences in the degree of obstacles to women’s ability to volunteer, attributable to gender and place of residence. The results also revealed that there are differences in the level of familial obstacles to youths’ participation in voluntary work attributable to differences in the educational level of fathers, namely some fathers’ low educational level (high school or below). The researchers attribute this to the fact that fathers, not mothers, are the ones who make the decisions regarding their children’s participation. This conforms to the results of a study by Hussein (2014).

7. Recommendations

Based on the results, we recommend the following:

Voluntary institutions and organizations should provide financial support to volunteers, because of the special economic circumstances that Jordanian people struggle with. The support should be enough to cover the expenses of moving from one’s home to the locations of the volunteer work and provide a suitable meal, which would reduce the financial burden on the family.

The media should shoulder the task of promoting the importance of volunteering in order to ensure that Jordanian families are aware of the importance of volunteering for children. Thus, the family can play its role in motivating the children to participate in volunteer work.