Global Assessment of Civic Service 

CSD has undertaken the first assessment of civic service worldwide.  Civic service appears to be a global phenomenon.  The growth of service may warrant a distinct field of study in which a comparative knowledge base could inform development and implementation of policies and programs.  Searching by country and using information from organizational memberships, publications, and the Internet, 210 civic service programs were identified in 57 countries.  This study has many limitations, raising more questions than it answers.  Nonetheless, it is the first worldwide empirical glimpse of service, shedding light on several key questions: What is the current status and forms of civic service?  What are its structures, goals, and effects? 

Products:

McBride, A.M., Benitez, C., & Sherraden, M. (2003). The forms and nature of civic service: A global assessment, research report. St. Louis: Center for Social Development, Washington University.

McBride, A.M., Benitez, C., and Danso, K. (2003). Civic service worldwide: Social development goals and partnerships. Social Development Issues, 25(1/2), 175-188.

McBride, A.M., Benitez, C., Sherraden, M., & Johnson, L. (2003). Civic service worldwide: A preliminary assessment. In H. Perold, S. Stroud, & M. Sherraden (Eds.), Service enquiry: Service in the 21^st century (pp. 3-19). Johannesburg: comPress.

McBride, A.M., Sherraden, M., Benitez, C., Johnson, E. (2004). Civic service worldwide: Defining a field, building a knowledge base.  Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 33(4), 8S-21S. 

Brookings Institution Initiative on International Volunteering and Service

Benchmarking on US volunteering abroad as well as research on the impact of international volunteering and service on cross-cultural understanding and development, which is part of the large-scale Brookings Initiative to promote and build capacity of international volunteering and service by US volunteers.

Products:

Lough, B.J. (2006). International volunteerism in the United States, 2005 (CSD Working Paper 06-18). St. Louis: Washington University, Center for Social Development.

McBride A.M., Sherraden M.S., and Lough B. (2007, May 24). Inclusion and effectiveness in international volunteering and service (CSD Perspective 07-13). U.S. Congressional Briefing on Global Service Fellowships. St. Louis: Washington University, Center for Social Development.

Regional Assessment of Civic Service 

Building on our first global assessment of civic service, next steps will include working with researchers in particular regions to better document the forms that service takes.  Regional assessments will be much more focused and greatly improved over the global assessment (indeed, perhaps eventually the series of regional assessments will replace the global assessment).  We anticipate detailed publication of "service profiles" from at least two regions during the next period.  Our first project is in the Latin America and Caribbean region.

Products: 

McBride, A.M., Olate, R., & Johnson, L. (2008). Youth volunteer service in Latin America and the Caribbean: A regional assessment (CSD Research Report 08-05). St. Louis: Washington University, Center for Social Development.

Johnson, L., Benitez, C., McBride, A.M., & Olate, R. (2004).  Youth volunteerism and civic service in Latin America and the Caribbean: A potential strategy for social and economic development, a research background paper.  St. Louis: Center for Social Development, Washington University.

Johnson, L, Benitez, C., McBride, A.M. (2004). Youth volunteerism and service in Latin America.  Presented at conference on youth entrepreneurship and voluntarism, Inter-American Development Bank, Lima, Peru, April.

Sherraden, M. (2004). The impact of volunteerism on the economy and society. Presentation at conference on youth entrepreneurship and voluntarism, Inter-American Development Bank, Lima, Peru, April.

Sherraden, M. (2004). Volunteerism and civic service in Latin American and the Caribbean:  Just good intentions or potential for development? Luncheon speech at Inter-American Development Bank, Forum on the Americas, Washington, D.C., April.

Foundational Research Reviews

How can civic service be conceptualized, and how can it be studied comparatively?  We suggest that civic service lies on a continuum of volunteerism, ranging from mutual aid to occasional volunteering to civic service, which is long-term and intensive.  We then review surveys on volunteerism to identify possible ways to measure civic service. 

Tang, F., McBride, A.M., & Sherraden, M. (2003). Toward measurement of civic service, research background paper. St. Louis: Center for Social Development, Washington University.

What is the global knowledge base on civic service?  We review what is known, the forms of service that have been studied, the questions asked, and findings. Attention is given to what can be learned from this research and what remains to be studied toward development of a global, comparative knowledge base on civic service.

McBride, A.M., Lombe, M., Tang, F., Sherraden, M., & Benitez, C. (2003). The knowledge base on civic service: Status and directions, working paper 03-20. St. Louis: Center for Social Development, Washington University.

Youth and International Service 

Based on the global assessment, particular areas of service require greater investigation and in-depth analysis.  These include especially youth service and international service.  We have now documented that youth are by far the most represented age group in service.  We have also (somewhat surprisingly) found that international service is the most prevalent form of service worldwide, but it is the least studied.  In preparation for possible comparative research projects on youth service and international service, scholarship in these areas are being reviewed in greater depth.

Products:

McBride, A.M., Pritzker, S., Daftary, D., & Tang, F. (2004). Youth service: A comprehensive perspective, working paper. St. Louis: Center for Social Development, Washington University.  Submitted for publication consideration in a special issue of the Journal of Community Practice.

McBride, A.M., & Daftary, D. (forthcoming). International service: Diplomacy, aid, development, or self-service?, working paper. St. Louis: Center for Social Development, Washington University.

Transnational Service

The North American Community Service (NACS) evaluation is studying the transnational features and impacts of an innovative pilot project in cross-national youth service. Because NACS is in its pilot phase, research will provide data to guide expansion of the program and eventual policy. 

Product: 

Sherraden, M.S. & Benitz, C. (2003). North American Community Service Pilot Project (Research Report). St. Louis: Washington University, Center for Social Development.

Service and Asset Building 

In 2002, AmeriCorps*VISTA of the Corporation for National and Community Service launched a new community and economic development initiative, Entrepreneur Corps.  Through Entrepreneur Corps, a distinct group of VISTA members are targeted to serve as "social entrepreneurs," creating and expanding asset-building programs. Entrepreneur Corps members are placed in organizations that aim to increase asset ownership among low-income groups, which is one of AmeriCorps*VISTA's strategic priorities.  The organizations work on small business development, homeownership, financial education, and Individual Development Accounts, among other asset-building strategies.  What are the activities of the VISTA members?  What is the status of asset-building programming and performance measurement?

We report findings regarding the asset-building activities of AmeriCorps*VISTA members in Entrepreneur Corps, and recommend performance measurement indicators based on effective asset-building practices in microenterprise, housing and homeownership, financial education, and Individual Development Account (IDA) programs.  This report is a first step toward the development of uniform asset-building measures that support the results-driven, outcome management orientation of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).

Product:

McBride, A.M., Hanson, S., Beverly, S., Schreiner, M., Sherraden, M., and Johnson, L. (forthcoming). AmeriCorps*VISTA and asset building programs:  Increasing capacity for evaluation and effect, research report.  Submitted to the federal Corporation for National and Community Service, under contract CNSHQC03012.

Older Volunteer Study 

Products:

Hinterlong, J. (forthcoming). Patterns for productive engagement among older Americans: Implications for social policy. Journal of Aging and Social Policy.

Hinterlong, J. (2006). Racial disparities in health among older adults: Examining the role of productive engagement. Health & Social Work 31(4), 275-288.

Hinterlong, J., McBride, A.M., Morrow-Howell, N., Tang, F., & Sherraden, M. (forthcoming). Elder volunteering and service: Global issues and outcomes. In L. Wilson (Ed.), Civic engagement and people age 50 and beyond. New York: Haworth Press.

Hinterlong, J., Morrow-Howell, N., & Rozario, P. (2007). Productive engagement and late life physical and mental health: Findings from a nationally representative panel study. Research on Aging 29(4), 348-370.

Hinterlong, J., and Williamson, A. (2007) The effects of civic engagement of current and future cohorts of older adults. Generations 30(4), 10-17.

Nagchoudhuri, M., McBride, A.M., Thirupathy, P., Tang, F., & Morrow-Howell, N. (2005). Maximizing elder service: Incentives, access, and facilitation.  International Journal of Volunteer Administration 22(1), 11-14 . 

Thirupathy, P., McBride, A.M., Nagchoudhuri, M., Tang, F., & Morrow-Howell, N. (forthcoming). Institutional capacity for elder service and volunteering: Focus group results, research report.  St. Louis: Center for Social Development, Washington University.

Morrow-Howell, N., Hinterlong, J., Sherraden, M., Tang, F., Thirupathy, P., & Nagchoudhuri, M. (2003). Institutional capacity for elder service. Social Development Issues 25, 189-204.

NYS Volunteers in Israel 

Product:

Gal, R., Amit, K., Fleischer, N., & Strichman, N. (2003). Volunteers of National Youth Service in Israel: A Study on motivation for service, social attitudes and volunteers' satisfaction (Research Report). St. Louis: Washington University, Center for Social Development.

Small Research Grants 2002

Small Research Grants 2005