African and European American Women's Volunteerism and Activism: Similarities in Volunteering and Differences in Activism

Abstract

This study focused on volunteerism and activism of African and European American women. This study explored potential differences in the level and nature of civic engagement between African and European American. Additionally, differences in those factors that determine civic engagement activities between the women were examined. African American and European American female participants in the 2000 Social Capital Benchmark Survey provided the data for this study (Saguaro Seminar, 2001). African and European American women did not differ in the extent to which they reported working on community projects and volunteering in their places of worship. However, their patterns of activism differed. Implications for social work practice were addressed.

KEYWORDS:

• Volunteerism
• activism
• civic engagement
• role-strain theory
• Social Capital Benchmark Survey

Notes

Data for this study were taken from the Social Capital Community Benchmark Study. The principal investigator was Robert D. Putnam.

*Significant difference between African and European American women at p < .05 level.

*Indicates significant difference between the two groups at p ≤ .01.

^aRobust Maximum Likelihood estimator used; analytical sample size = 11,333.

^bAfrican American = 1; European American = 0.

*p ≤ .05

**p < .01