Why
is there a lack of participation?
I think that before answering this question we should
ask ourselves why people get involved in community services in the first place.
In fact, people get involved for a myriad of reasons like simply helping their
community, wanting to know people and make bonds or because they are attached
to a cause. Actually, according to many studies, the only cause that seems to
motivate Generation Y is their very own person[1]
and that may come as an obstacle when comes the time to get involved for the
“Greater Good”. We are a generation that grew in a society where money rules
everything and from what I’ve heard and seen, this might be one of the reasons
why our generation doesn’t get involved; community service doesn’t pay much. There
also seems to be a disillusion as to the real impact of one’s involvement as
many people never get involved. In other words, as people are becoming more
self-centered, they might help less and that creates a vicious circle, for some
might think that they have no reason to do their part if the majority doesn’t;
but always waiting for the others to act first is only the easiest way to be socially
disengaged. Moreover, to get involved in something often implies that it means
something to ourselves or at least, it is more likely to be less painful if we
take this involvement at heart. If so, the fact that the Generation Y is less
empathetic than the previous generations[2]
might be one of the reasons why there is a lack of participation in community
service; to be called by a cause implies caring and it is impossible to care
with a cold heart.
Which
is better? Volunteering or service learning?
In my
opinion, both volunteering and service learning have their pros and cons.
Service learning sort of intends to instigate the students ‘reflection on their
community as they get involved in it. It also brings an active way of learning
which can be more interesting and practical than theory alone, and it surely
helps to teach civic responsibilities as it can make students feel bonded to
their community. However, every student might not enjoy this kind of learning
and forcing someone to get involved in the community is not to help one’s
vision on community service; it could turn against community’s advantage. On
the other hand, volunteering is based on a person’s desire to get involved and
this can only help one’s motivation for community service. Volunteers are more
likely to volunteer for more than personal interests, it surely can bring pride
and satisfaction to help others, but the effect on society can be more meaningful.
What
is the best way to encourage people to get involved?
I think that the best way to get people involved is to
find issues that appeal them; no one can feel totally unconcerned about
everything. However, the task of pleasing everyone might be a little more complicated
as everybody’s interests may differ, but with the myriad of organisations that
exists it would be difficult not to find something that suits the majority. As
I first mentioned, a person’s interest is more likely to push this person to
get involved; if someone’s relative dies of cancer, this person is more likely to
get involve in cancer’s fund raising organisations than someone that has never
seen the ravages of this disease. As
there are people that naturally get involved in community services, there are
people that will never feel the need to volunteer and I guess it is part of
living in a community.
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