Fields of interest and values of a group of student voluntary community workers
Date
1997
Authors
Sennett E.
Meyer J.C.
Boshoff S.C.
Burger L.
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Abstract
This study examined differences in fields of interest and values for a group of student voluntary community workers (called USKOR volunteers) and a sample of first year students. USKOR volunteers completed three measuring instruments, namely a biographical and personal questionnaire, the Meyer Interest Questionnaire (MB-10) and the Values Scale (VS). The first years completed only the MB-10 and VS. Concerning fields of interest, both male and female USKOR volunteers scored sufficiently higher in the linguistic preference category than first year students. Moreover, humanistic inclination rather than an interest in the scientific, biological and practical fields appeared to be of more importance to the USKOR male, whereas the USKOR female scored significantly higher on preferences for practical work in comparison with first year females. This implies a shift away from traditional gender expectations by USKOR volunteers. When comparing values, USKOR volunteers scored significantly higher on spirituality, altruism and personal development than first year students. Generally, USKOR males placed loss priority on ability utilisation and social relationships. The values for USKOR males also differed from the expected traditional pattern in the sense of less prioritising on physical activity and fitness.
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Social Work
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