The Social Characteristics of Volunteers in Jordan: A Field Study through the Maintenance Project of Poor Families Houses in Irbid City

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the social characteristics of volunteers in Jordan, by studying the characteristics of volunteers in the maintenance project of poor families' houses in Irbid city and identify the motivations behind this volunteer work, and then determine if there are statistically significant differences in the volunteer work motivations, due to the variable of social type or gender. The study adopted the descriptive studies method and the social survey methodology. A questionnaire was prepared and distributed on the study sample that consists of (63) volunteers to identify their major social characteristics and features and to ask them about the forces that motive them to be involve in the volunteer work. After that, the T-Test will be implemented to show the statistical differences in the volunteer motivations, according to the gender variable. The results on the social characteristics of volunteers came to show that majority of the study sample members are men, from the age group (41-50), of middle-income, and have their own job. The results also showed that (65%) of the study sample members are retirees and camp residents, where the majority of them are married and don't have high degrees. In addition, the study showed that (54%) of the study sample members are continuously active in the volunteer work. The study showed that order of motivations towards volunteer work was as follows: (social, cultural, human, ethical, then the personal, and finally the religious). The results also showed that arithmetic means for the volunteer motivations linked to the personal, social, cultural, ethical, human and religious dimensions showed nonexistence of statistically significant differences at the level (α≤05), due to the difference in