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Abstract:
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This thesis examines the volunteer behavior of minority youth (black and Hispanic) in comparison with their white counterparts. Volunteering is a critical indicator of democratic engagement. Previous research suggests that young people who are involved in volunteer activities are more likely to become politically aware, empowered, philanthropic, and participatory citizens. Encouraging youth volunteer behavior is therefore an important step in strengthening society. The tendency to volunteer is not exhibited equally across racial lines, with minority youth volunteering at lower levels than white youth. Using data from the 2005 Youth Volunteering, Service, and Civic Engagement Survey, this paper examines several key influences on volunteer behavior both social factors and individual characteristics to determine whether they have varying importance for minority and white youth. Summary statistics establish significant differences in parent volunteer behavior, religious service attendance, and trust in other people between minority and white youth, but not in two other important influences on youth volunteer behavior, service learning participation and belief in personal ability to make a difference. Building from these results, OLS and step-wise regression analyses identify the relative importance of each of these factors on minority and white youth volunteer behavior, finding parent volunteer behavior to be the largest determinant for all three groups. This finding along with findings of differential exposure to influences on volunteer behavior suggests that government policymakers and nonprofit organizations should target mentoring and leadership programs that can serve as parental surrogates and build youth trust in others to help reduce the racial gap. |