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The in-service training and its status was chosen as the research object of the present thesis. The research aims to reveal the preconditions of in-service training in social work volunteers. The goals of the research are to perform an analytic overview of academic literature on the topic of the present master thesis; to highlight the occurrences of the activity of social work volunteers; to reveal the motivation behind volunteer activity; and to determine the most important constituents of occupational skills for social work volunteers. The following research methods are applied: analytical overview of academic literature on the topic of the master thesis, questionnaires and individual interviews with social work volunteers, as well as statistical data processing (in Excel). The results of the research are reflected in the conclusions of the master thesis. The following are the main conclusions: · The motivation of volunteer activity is closely related to the need to gain experience of various types of social work, taking into consideration the feelings, needs, capabilities, and abilities of participants of the learning process. In most cases, volunteer activity is based on goodwill; on a wish to help others, to communicate, to collaborate, and to fulfil the concepts, which are important to a modern person. · The in-service training of social work volunteers is mostly related to high intellect and maturity. The in-service training is oriented towards possibilities for... [to full text] / The in-service training and its status was chosen as the research object of the present thesis. The research aims to reveal the preconditions of in-service training in social work volunteers. The goals of the research are to perform an analytic overview of academic literature on the topic of the present master thesis; to highlight the occurrences of the activity of social work volunteers; to reveal the motivation behind volunteer activity; and to determine the most important constituents of occupational skills for social work volunteers. The following research methods are applied: analytical overview of academic literature on the topic of the master thesis, questionnaires and individual interviews with social work volunteers, as well as statistical data processing (in Excel). The results of the research are reflected in the conclusions of the master thesis. The following are the main conclusions: · The motivation of volunteer activity is closely related to the need to gain experience of various types of social work, taking into consideration the feelings, needs, capabilities, and abilities of participants of the learning process. In most cases, volunteer activity is based on goodwill; on a wish to help others, to communicate, to collaborate, and to fulfil the concepts, which are important to a modern person. · The in-service training of social work volunteers is mostly related to high intellect and maturity. The in-service training is oriented towards possibilities for... [to full text]

Savanoriškos veiklos įnašas į darbo rinką yra svarbus visose išsivysčiusiose šalyse. Tai priklauso nuo socialinių ir ekonominių sąlygų, atitinkamos kultūros, paremtos tradicijomis bei vertybėmis, kai individas yra mokomas, ugdomas tapti doru, visuomenišku piliečiu. Pasak Anot S. J. Ellis (2002), žmonės savanoriauja dėl daugybės priežasčių, ypač norėdami padėti kitiems ir gauti šiek tiek naudos sau. Savanoriška veikla įvairiose organizacijose: psichologinės pagalbos, neįgalių ir senyvų žmonių priežiūros, Raudonojo kryžiaus draugijos, yra gerai žinoma, tačiau savanoriavimas sporto sektoriuje Lietuvoje dar nėra populiarus, nors ši laisvalaikio praleidimo forma sparčiai plinta. Savanorių darbo organizavimas reikalauja didelės motyvacijos. Savanorystė sporte- plačiai paplitęs ir vis labiau populiarėjantis reiškinys pasaulyje. Šiandien be savanorių, talkinančių sporto renginių organizatoriams, praktiškai neapsieina nė viena didesnė ir svarbesnė sporto šventė, todėl yra labai aktualus sporto savanorių motyvavimas organizacijoje. Sporto savanorių motyvavimas yra svarbi sporto vadybos dalis, kuri pateikia ir sunkumų, ir teigiamų galimybių sporto organizacijų vadovams. Norint išlaikyti savanorius, reikia nuolatos juos motyvuoti skatinančiomis priemonėmis. / Voluntary contribution to the labor market is important in all developed countries belonging from the social and economic conditions, also appropriate culture based on democratic traditions and values, when the individual is trained and educated in the spiritual way to offer public satisfaction. According to S. J. Ellis (2002), people volunteer for many reasons, particularly to help others and get some benefit for themselves. Voluntary activities in various organizations: psychological support, disabled and oldster care, the Red Cross Society, is well known, but volunteering in the sports sector in Lithuania is not yet popular, even though this form of leisure activities are growing rapidly. Organization of volunteer work requires great motivation. Volunteering in sport is common and growing worldwide phenomenon. At this time no bigger and important sports festival can manage without assistance of volunteers, backing the organizers. It is therefore very important to motivate sports volunteers in organization. Motivation of sports volunteers is an important part of sport management, which delivers difficulties and positive opportunities for the leaders of sports organization. It is needed, in order to keep volunteers, to constantly motivate them with stimulating tools.

The purpose of this study was to examine the primary motives of golf volunteers at the Professional Golf Association (PGA) Championship and Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Solheim Cup event. The current study consisted of eight hundred and seventy seven participants (N=877) which included 470 volunteers from the PGA Championship and 407 volunteers from the Solheim Cup. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and the Sport Volunteer Motivation Scale prior to serving as a volunteer for the respective golf event. Descriptive statistics revealed purposive motives was the most highly endorsed motive for PGA Championship and Solheim Cup volunteers. External motives proved to be endorsed the least among the participants. The demographic makeup of the volunteer population consisted of 56.3% males and 43.7% females. Respondents ages ranged from 18 to 84 years old, with a mean age of 55.5 years old. In regards to ethnicity, the volunteers were predominantly Caucasian (96.2%) and the majority (75.1%) reported a household income over $75,000. A series of 2 X 2 MANOVA's revealed significant differences by gender, women scored significantly higher than men on purposive, egoistic, external, and leisure motives. Significant differences were found for household income as those with an income of less than $75,000 had higher motives for material, external, leisure, and egoistic factors. Significant differences were also found for age as those younger than 56 years old had higher motives for material, leisure, and egoistic factors. A 2 X 5 MANOVA revealed a significant effect for highest degree earned, for the egoistic motive, volunteers who received a Bachelor's, Associate's, or High School/GED degrees were significantly greater than those volunteers who received a Doctoral degree. Solheim Cup volunteers had significantly higher motives than PGA Championship volunteers for all five factors. The results of the present study indicated the demographic makeup of the volunteer population needs to be examined in relationship to volunteer motivation as volunteers have different motives which must be considered for giving their time, effort, and energy to a respective sport event. Recommendations for future research examining sport event volunteer motives are also discussed. / Department of Educational Studies

The definition of child sexual abuse is problematic as it encompasses various meanings within different cultures. This in turn leads to difficulty in measuring the exact incidence and prevalence of child sexual abuse within a country. Many researchers, however, agree that the incidence and prevalence of child sexual abuse within South Africa is significantly high and poses a large threat to many children. As a result, the government has implemented legislation and various policies to protect children from sexual abuse, as well as to provide the victims of such abuse with the necessary assistance. As child sexual abuse may have considerable short- and long-term effects on the child, it is essential that the child be adequately supported. Through various welfare programmes, the government aims to provide support and treatment to children who have been sexually abused. Professionals working with sexually abused children work in a highly stressful environment and often show symptoms of vicarious traumatisation, secondary trauma, burnout and compassion fatigue as a result. South Africa in particular faces further problems, in that the welfare programmes are often underfunded and lack the support needed to effectively help sexually abused children. This has led to a need for community members to volunteer in order to help alleviate some of the stress on professionals working within the field of child sexual abuse. Community members can volunteer in various ways within many different spheres of the community. Their motivations to volunteer vary and range from wanting to give back to the community, to wanting to further their education. Volunteers in South Africa that work within the field of child sexual abuse may also, however, experience many of the same symptoms as the professionals with whom they work. This often leads to a high dropout and turnover rate in volunteer programmes. That said, if volunteers feel a sense of satisfaction and support within their work environment, the organisation’s retention rate will be higher. Literature has shown that South Africa’s mental health services rely on volunteers to help alleviate the workload, particularly in the area of sexual abuse. While much research has been done on the supportive needs of professionals working with sexually abused children, little research has been conducted on the secondary trauma experienced by volunteers working within this field. This qualitative study is therefore important because it explores the supportive needs of volunteers working at an organisation for sexually abused children in a small community in Somerset West. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the North-West University and the participants gave their informed consent before taking part in the study. Data were gathered through discussion groups and individual interviews with six volunteers. Through the process of crystallisation and the four standards of trustworthiness, the reliability of the findings was ensured. Using thematic analysis, various themes and subthemes were identified. From the data obtained in the group discussions and individual interviews, it was revealed that the volunteers had similar supportive needs to those of psychologists, social workers and counsellors working in the field of child sexual abuse. These included a need for supervision and debriefing; a need for appreciation, acknowledgement, value and worth; a need for more contact and support from the organisation; a need for emotional support from the organisation and supportive others; as well as a need for assistance in coping with anger, all of which is consistent with previous research. As volunteer retention is essential to the continuity of organisations such as the one in this study, it is imperative that the volunteers’ supportive needs are understood and fulfilled. These findings have contributed to an understanding of the volunteers’ supportive needs and what organisations and significant others can do to fulfil these needs, in order for the volunteers to render effective services to the sexually abused children with whom they work / Thesis (MA (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The definition of child sexual abuse is problematic as it encompasses various meanings within different cultures. This in turn leads to difficulty in measuring the exact incidence and prevalence of child sexual abuse within a country. Many researchers, however, agree that the incidence and prevalence of child sexual abuse within South Africa is significantly high and poses a large threat to many children. As a result, the government has implemented legislation and various policies to protect children from sexual abuse, as well as to provide the victims of such abuse with the necessary assistance. As child sexual abuse may have considerable short- and long-term effects on the child, it is essential that the child be adequately supported. Through various welfare programmes, the government aims to provide support and treatment to children who have been sexually abused. Professionals working with sexually abused children work in a highly stressful environment and often show symptoms of vicarious traumatisation, secondary trauma, burnout and compassion fatigue as a result. South Africa in particular faces further problems, in that the welfare programmes are often underfunded and lack the support needed to effectively help sexually abused children. This has led to a need for community members to volunteer in order to help alleviate some of the stress on professionals working within the field of child sexual abuse. Community members can volunteer in various ways within many different spheres of the community. Their motivations to volunteer vary and range from wanting to give back to the community, to wanting to further their education. Volunteers in South Africa that work within the field of child sexual abuse may also, however, experience many of the same symptoms as the professionals with whom they work. This often leads to a high dropout and turnover rate in volunteer programmes. That said, if volunteers feel a sense of satisfaction and support within their work environment, the organisation’s retention rate will be higher. Literature has shown that South Africa’s mental health services rely on volunteers to help alleviate the workload, particularly in the area of sexual abuse. While much research has been done on the supportive needs of professionals working with sexually abused children, little research has been conducted on the secondary trauma experienced by volunteers working within this field. This qualitative study is therefore important because it explores the supportive needs of volunteers working at an organisation for sexually abused children in a small community in Somerset West. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the North-West University and the participants gave their informed consent before taking part in the study. Data were gathered through discussion groups and individual interviews with six volunteers. Through the process of crystallisation and the four standards of trustworthiness, the reliability of the findings was ensured. Using thematic analysis, various themes and subthemes were identified. From the data obtained in the group discussions and individual interviews, it was revealed that the volunteers had similar supportive needs to those of psychologists, social workers and counsellors working in the field of child sexual abuse. These included a need for supervision and debriefing; a need for appreciation, acknowledgement, value and worth; a need for more contact and support from the organisation; a need for emotional support from the organisation and supportive others; as well as a need for assistance in coping with anger, all of which is consistent with previous research. As volunteer retention is essential to the continuity of organisations such as the one in this study, it is imperative that the volunteers’ supportive needs are understood and fulfilled. These findings have contributed to an understanding of the volunteers’ supportive needs and what organisations and significant others can do to fulfil these needs, in order for the volunteers to render effective services to the sexually abused children with whom they work / Thesis (MA (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

For the most part, academic literature neglects the psychological impact of public gardens and the landscape on human well-being. Literature about botanical gardening and urban landscape design provide the foundation of contemporary public gardening practices. Largely overlooked, however, is a discussion of the relevance of such gardens to visitors. Public gardens, however, can play an important role in fostering a sense of place in communities, in both historical and contemporary contexts. In this study, the impacts of such gardens are considered through Canadian experiences using perceptual lenses offered by diverse writers whose work can be found in bodies of literature related to history, geography, non-fiction, and poetry. Concepts such as ‘place-making’ which can foster ‘home-making’, for example, are intriguing and worthwhile areas of inquiry in understanding the role of public gardens in the urban landscape. This research explores the importance of ‘home’ in gardens. It also considers the importance of gardens to an individual’s internal (psychological) and external (social) home, particularly for those currently involved as volunteers at public gardens. The concept is related to stewardship and how being a steward of the garden home is key to being a steward of one’s internal home. The animating question here concerns the role that cultivated gardens might play in an individual’s connection to landscape. This topic is explored through an examination of volunteer programs (popularly known as Friends of the Garden programs) using grounded theory to explore the perceptions and perspectives of volunteers who work in three public gardens in Ottawa, Kitchener, and Toronto, Ontario. The subject of gardens and their interrelationship to people lends itself to an interdisciplinary methodological approach encompassing studies in landscape ecology, geography, history, planning, design, and psychology, among others. The qualitative methods approach used in this thesis involves an in-depth examination of secondary literature, as well as field work involving semi-structured interviews, and narrative methods. Further, this research explores the role these gardens play with respect to the unique Canadian sense of place and well-being found within urban public gardens. The findings of the research reveal differing perspectives of volunteers with respect to “sense-making” and the ways in which they engage with each other and with the urban public gardens where they work. In addition, the findings revealed the crucial role played by the volunteer as stewards of the garden. The volunteers see these gardens as sanctuaries and view their own role as serving the greater good of their communities for reasons that go beyond political and economic considerations; they are based on intrinsic sets of values. The research revealed that volunteers frequently possessed strong connections to childhood experiences spent in natural settings with their families. These experiences helped to stimulate a shared belief amongst gardeners that the very act of gardening is itself a valued and valuable “way of life”. Furthermore, volunteers are often retired and older; as such, they volunteer in the gardens as a way to contribute to the world to make it more beautiful and meaningful for others and to pass those gardens down to future generations. Gardens are seen as ways to re-create home from one’s childhood past; volunteers often link their present experience in the garden with a sense of connection and belonging in similar terms used to describe their home (as a country, a house, or a valued place). These findings demonstrate that there is a strong sense of place that is both acquired and fostered through engagement with urban public gardens. The findings also raise the possibility that public gardens play an important role in fostering sense of place in visitors. This, in turn, can contribute to a sense of home or belonging, and stewardship of communities and natural surroundings. This research contributes to an understanding of the role that public gardens play as valuable places that make important contributions to social and ecological well-being.

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1989. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Env. St.)--University of Adelaide, Mawson Graduate Centre for Environmental Studies, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-111).

Thesis (D.Psych.)--Murdoch University, 2008. / Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences. Includes bibliographical references (p. 196-218)