Men's and Women's Volunteering: Gender Differences in the Effects of Employment and Family Characteristics

Abstract

This study focuses on gender differences in the effects of employment and family characteristics on volunteering among White adults using data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) 1995-1996. There is a statistically significant difference in the way employment status affects men's and women's volunteering behavior. Relative to full-time employment, part-time employment encourages women's volunteer work but not men’s, while unemployment exclusively inhibits men's volunteering. A significant gender difference is also in the effect of elderly care. Only among women is the time spent on elderly care significantly and negatively associated with volunteering. Women typically spend more time providing unpaid care to aging family members, and this will further contribute to the gender gap in volunteering among family caregivers to the elderly. Implications of these and related findings for volunteer work organizations are discussed.