Hello, hmc53142-ga!
Your question proved trickier than I thought it would. While I found
plenty of information on volunteerism and
professional/semi-professional associations, it was next to impossible
to find trends in South America. It was also very difficult to find
information pertaining to local, small-town chapters of professional
associations versus large professional associations.
I am not sure if I have interpreted that aspect of your question
accurately. If you want differences between volunteerism in small
towns versus large municipalities in general, that is a much easier.
Otherwise, it might be helpful to target a few professional
associations that interest you, to see if I can figure out some
comparisons between volunteer participation between local and national
chapters. The same would be true for comparisons of South American
chapters of US professional organizations. Even then, I don't know how
much information might be available.
The following is what I have uncovered:
General Overview:
A critique of Putnam's Book
***************************
From "Putnam, Fukuyama, De Tocqueville, and Volunteerism in the
International Community," by
Paul Rich and Guillermo De Los Reyes. Draft of a paper for the
International Studies Association. (2/1999)
http://mailweb.udlap.mx/~rich/papers/isa99/morris.html
Excerpts:
"While Professor Putnam has made a valuable contribution by sparking
debate over whether volunteerism has ebbed, just the spirited social
exchanges of the Internet and the enormous non-paid activity in
constructing World Wide Web archives shows the other side of the coin
to which we refer.11 All manner of discussion, lobby, and support
groups have sprung up via the Net.12 Putnam relies on surveys which
show a decline in conventional membership in organizations that may
have declined because of changes in interest and constituency rather
than a lack of public spirit.13 The Grange, for example, could not
sustain growth as the farming population decreased. The United
Commercial Travelers still maintains a lodge system for lonely
salesmen, but air transportation makes it possible to be home for the
weekend, and the organization has suffered from that."
"Research by Brent Morris shows that some of the organizations that
Putnam cites as evidence of the recent decline in volunteerism
actually began their decline long ago. The Odd Fellows, for example,
began declining in 1920, and the decline from 1920 to 1935 exceeded
all its growth from 1990 to 1920. In 1920 the Odd Fellows had 1,
736,00 members. In 1940 they had 666,000 members. D. Morris shows
similar, if now obscure organizations such as the Patriarchs Militant,
Rebekah, and Knights of Pythias also peaked around 1920 and then began
to decline."14
"The work Dr. Morris has done is a good example of how useful it will
be if the research done into rather private, if not totally secretive,
societies like the Masons is incorporated into discussions about
intermediate organizations and volunteerism. (We recognize the Masonry
sometimes resents being called a secret society, claiming that it is
very visible by virtue of its buildings and charities.) Clearly Putnam
cannot go back to 1920 in trying to show a decline in the voluntary
spirit. His thesis needs a more recent date. He cannot, for example,
use the lack of member participation in the National Geographical
Society because that would put him back in the 1890s."
"Putnam´s claims about those voluntary groups that have grown
substantially in recent years such as the Sierra Club and American
Association of Retired Persons, -- that they mean little more to their
members than do magazine subscriptions, are somewhat contradicted by
the activities of those groups he singles out. The AARP for example
has more than 4000 local chapters, many of them being involved in
blood drives, hospital visitation and other civic activities."
"So the situation is not easily interpreted. Less Americans are
joining the Odd Fellows, but more every day are involved in college
alumni groups -- if only because more are going to college. Putnam
could argue that new movements are more like the National Geographic
Society (itself a nineteenth-century foundation) and that the
memberships of many organizations are uninvolved, but the level of
involvement of members in organizations in the past surely varied as
well. Accusing him of "intellectual and journalistic superficiality",
Robert J. Samuelson found that even bowling was simply showing a more
relaxed style rather than demonstrating a dearth of community. Anyway,
argued Samuelson, softball leagues now had more than 40 million
participants, in contrast with only 27 million in 1972. Conceding that
unions had slumped, he pointed out that there had been an increase
participation in literary and art groups and professional groups,
suggesting perhaps a change in the population rather than a decline in
spirit.. American associational life today he insists is less along
racial, sexual and ethnic lines and thus has improved in quality."
"Another critic of Putnam, Diana Eck, discusses how the American
penchant for volunteerism has influenced traditional religious groups
that are relatively new to the country. "There are Hindu groups that
adopt a highway and an organization called Sikhs Serving America that
tries to help street people. There has been a proliferation of
"voluntary associations based on democratic, and not necessarily
Christian, principles" which counteracts the notion that people are
bowling alone.19
"When it comes to bowling, the Bowl for Kids´ Sake organization aiding
the Big Brother and Big Sister mentoring programs has produced so far
more than $125 million, and from ground zero in 1981 now involves more
than two million bowlers a year. (Of course the argument could be made
that BKS members don´t share pizzas and beers are readily as members
of company teams, but the proof of that would seem a challenge.) The
Big Brother and Big Sister organizations have been joined in a new
mentoring movement by other new groups such as Concerned Black Men,
One Hundred Black Men, Foster Grandparents, and Friends of the
Children."
"A case then can be made that for every sewing circle and fraternal
lodge that has declined, another sort of volunteerism springs up. An
optimist, Professor Ann Boyles, writes, "It is perhaps the most
significant social phenomenon of our time: the sudden efflorescence of
countless movements and organizations of social change at local,
regional, and international levels." She adds, "This blossoming of
civil society, as represented by non-governmental organizations,
community-based groups, academic institutions, and others, is
significantly reshaping the international agenda."20
(There is an extensive bibliography at the end of this paper that may
prove useful!)
An article of some interest:
"Secret Ritualistic Organizations and Volunteerism in Mexico, "by
Guillermo De Los Reys. Presented at the 2000 Meeting of the Latin
American Studies Association.
http://mailweb.udlap.mx/~rich/papers/LASA2K/reyes.pdf
Excerpts:
"In Mexico today, which is undergoing democratization, there has been
a recent rapid growth in the number of non'governmental organizations.
"From 1989 on the number of non governmental organization (NGOs)
skyrocketed. As a sociocultural response to the state's withdrawal
from welfare responsibilities since 1982, professional groups,
intellectuals and progressive church-inspired associations decided to
organize working groups oriented to the development of public
services, technical consultancy, health programmes, popular urban
development, popular education, youth attention, environmental
protection and so on and so forth. Past state monopolization of all
these kind of societal initiatives waned, and given the availability
of internation funding, several NGOs flourished all over the
country,"25
(Extensive bibliography follows article)
============================================================================
Rates of Volunteer Participation
*********************************
Canadian Statistics:
====================
As excerpted from "A sharp decline in the volunteer pool accurately
mirrors the decline of faith," by Ted and Virginia Byfield. Report:
Canada's Independent News Magazine. (9/10/2001)
http://report.ca/archive/report/20010910/p44i010910f.html
"Now, however, we can clinically chart our downfall, actually measure
the moral temperature, take the social pulse. Last week, for instance,
there came a disturbing story, disturbing enough for the Globe and
Mail to make it their front-page headline: "Alert Raised as 1 Million
Fewer Now Volunteer."
"Canada has one million fewer volunteers today than it had in 1997,"
read the story. The National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and
Participating had found that Canada's pool of volunteers shrank from
7.5 million in 1997 to 6.5 million in 2000. Where volunteer labour
totalled the equivalent of 578,000 full-time workers in 1997, it was
549,000 in 2000. Canadian charities had lost nearly 30,000 workers.
This would have spelled disaster for a number of charities, said the
report, were it not for the fact that the people who do volunteer made
up the differences by contributing far more of their time. Now 7% of
volunteers contribute 73% of all volunteer labour.
====
As excerpted from "The State of Volunteering in Canada: National
Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating - 2000."
http://www.vsi-isbc.ca/eng/joint_tables/nvi/cvi_report/doc8.cfm
"The results of the NSGVP contain both good news and bad news. The
good news is that 6.5 million Canadians are engaged in volunteering
and these volunteers come from all age groups, all backgrounds, and
all communities. The bad news is that, between 1997 and 2000, one
million fewer Canadians contributed to a formal volunteer activity - a
13 percent decline. This is an alarming trend."
"The volunteering rate declined independent of age, sex, marital
status, education, labour force status and income. Despite the
adoption of mandatory community service in some high school education
systems, the volunteering rate among those aged 15-24 declined from 33
percent in 1997 to 29 percent in 2000."
"Further, in spite of a 2.5 percent increase in the Canadian
population and a 9 percent increase in the average number of hours per
volunteer between 1997 and 2000, the decline in the overall
volunteering rate resulted in an absolute decline in the total number
of volunteer hours - from 1.11 billion hours in 1997 to 1.05 billion
hours in 2000. To put this in perspective, this decline of 56 million
volunteer hours is equivalent to the loss of 29,000 full-time jobs.
While these numbers speak for themselves, they do not explain why this
decline has occurred."
"In 2000, 73 percent of Canadians did not volunteer at all, at least
in the formal system. The survey findings also show that only seven
percent of Canadians contribute almost three-quarters of all volunteer
effort. This central core of 'super' volunteers is highly homogenous:
they are older, university educated, higher income, parents, and
actively religious. While these people represent a remarkable cohort
of Canadians, dependence on such a small number is neither wise, nor
sustainable, in the longer term. Effort is needed to deepen and extend
the pool of volunteers."
"The single most important factor people give for volunteering is a
belief in the cause supported by the organizations. This is followed
by: putting skills to use; being personally affected by the cause; and
exploring one's own strengths. These factors remained stable over the
three-year period, suggesting that other factors contributed to the
marked decline in volunteering."
"The reasons given for not volunteering have remained relatively
constant: lack of time and unwillingness to make a year-round
commitment. The survey also indicates that many non-volunteers in
Canada have never been asked to volunteer. Many people indicate that
they don't know how to get involved in their community. A clear need
exists to promote and celebrate volunteerism to help Canadians from
all backgrounds become more aware of volunteering opportunities, and
to help organizations reach out to potential volunteers."
=====
United States Statistics:
========================
Excerpted from "Census Bureau: Volunteerism Down," by Steve Jordahl.
Family News in Focus.
(2/13/2003)
http://www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0024681.html
"Government statistics indicate an 11 percent decline in volunteerism
over the last two years. Although she questions the results of the
study, Pat Read, of the group Independent Sector, said there is cause
for concern."
====
Excerpted from "Giving and Volunteering in the United States 2001."
Independent Sector.
http://www.independentsector.org/programs/research/gv01main.html
"INDEPENDENT SECTOR's Giving and Volunteering in the United States
Signature Series provides a comprehensive picture of the giving and
volunteering habits of Americans. Based on a national survey of more
than 4,000 adults, this series of reports explores the why, how, and
who behind the extraordinary everyday generosity, both in time and
money, of American households. The Signature Series is sponsored by
the MetLife Foundation.
Key Findings:
Giving (households)
89 percent of households give.
The average annual contribution for contributors is $1,620.
Volunteering (individuals)
44 percent of adults volunteer.
83.9 million American adults volunteer, representing the equivalent of
over 9 million full-time employees at a value of $239 billion.
(You may order the full report at
http://www.independentsector.org/pubs_cart.htm)
====
Volunteering is up in some sectors:
According to the article, "Volunteerism on the Rise: President Bush
Renews Call to Service," by Patrick Ferraro, Philanthropic Research,
Inc.(August 2002) at
http://www.guidestar.org/news/features/volunteerism.stm :
"Numbers recently issued by the USA Freedom Corps indicate a renewed
interest in volunteerism in America. On-line applications to
AmeriCorps have increased 90 percent, and visits to the SeniorCorps
Web site have jumped 57 percent. More than 66,000 potential volunteers
have requested Peace Corps applications - a 40 percent increase - and
more than 45,000 individuals have signed up on-line to participate in
the Citizen Corps. VolunteerMatch, the on-line volunteer database
..... has experienced a marked upswing in activity this year. In the
last quarter alone, matches between volunteers and organizations
increased 72 percent compared to the same period in 2001."
=====
Corporate Volunteerism - United States:
From "Prudential Financial Leads the Charge in Corporate Sponsored
Volunteerism." Prudential Financial.(9/30/2002)
http://www.prudential.com/productsAndServices/0,1474,intPageID%253D3849%2526blnPrinterFriendly%253D0,00.html
(Prudential poll finds American workers' perception of
corporate-sponsored volunteerism on national decline.)
"Despite a heightened focus on corporate responsibility, a new study
released today found that American workers now believe their companies
are pulling back just when they should be giving back."
"According to a recent national poll conducted by Prudential
Financial, more than 80% of employees express a willingness to
participate in company volunteer programs. Yet only 54% believe that
their employer encourages volunteerism, a 12% decline since 1998. And,
only two out of five companies that do provide volunteer programs
encourage family involvement."
"Many companies offer volunteerism opportunities. But our research
shows there is still a gap in mobilizing even more employees," says
Arthur F. Ryan, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial. "We have
long believed it's important for employees to take an active part in
improving the places they live and work through volunteerism. That's
why we sponsor events like Global Volunteer Day. We hope events like
this will inspire other companies to develop similar volunteer
programs."
Other findings in the survey of American workers include:
83% of part-time employees say they would participate in a
corporate-sponsored program.
Two out of five companies encourage family involvement in volunteer
programs.
Trend Research:
In August 2002, Prudential Financial surveyed nearly 650 U.S.
residents on their employers' volunteer involvement. Researchers
compared the results to a similar study they conducted in 1998. Here's
what they found:
54 percent of respondents say their employer encourages volunteerism,
compared to 62% in 1998. The biggest decline was in part-time
employees.
Less than half of employees report their employer sponsors volunteer
programs.
There was a 12% drop over the last four years in the number of
employees who say their employer sponsors volunteer programs.
80 percent of respondents say they'd participate in a
corporate-sponsored program.
83 percent of part-time employees said they would participate in a
corporate-sponsored program.
Two out of five companies encourage family involvement in volunteer
programs.
51 percent of employees in the 35-44 age group say their employer
encourages family participation.
======
Volunteer Distribution:
An excellent chart, called "Distribution of Volunteers and
Assignments, 1998, can be seen in the article:
"USEFUL FACTS ON VOLUNTEERISM IN THE UNITED STATES." Bohse and
Associates
http://bohse.com/html/facts_on_volunteerism.html
I have copied the chart information here, though the rest of the
article is also very insightful.
14.6% Informal Activity
13.7% Religious Activity
10.5% Youth Activity
10.4% Educational Activity
9.5% Human Services
6.8% Health
6.2% Work-related
5.5% Environment
5.2% Arts
5.2% Recreation
4.7% Public/Societal Benefit
2.8% Political
2.0% Private/Community Foundations
1.5% International
1.3% Other
Some other facts from the article:
42% of households with an average income under $20,000 reported
volunteering during the year while 68% of households with an average
income between $40,000 and $49,999 did so.
College graduates were between 50 and 60% more likely to volunteer
than those respondents with only a high school diploma.
=====
Participation in Specialized Associations - Declining or Increasing?
*******************************************************************
Some specific examples:
=======================
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons:
Despite Putnam's discouraging data about the overall decline in
volunteerism and association participation, the AMOS continues to see
active participation in their professional association.
"..the AMOS has been fortunate to have Fellows interested in
volunteering for a number of projects and committees over the past 70
years. This is a trend we wish to see continue and grow."
However, there has been a noticeable decline in voting for committee
members.
"In Putnam’s book, he notes that there has been a continual decline
in the percentage of the U.S. population that votes in each election
cycle over the past 40 years. This fact hits home to those of us
involved in the Academy, as we have also seen a declining
participation in our voting recently. In 1993, 40% of eligible AAOS
Fellows voted for the Nominating Committee, but in 2002, this number
dropped to 28% of eligible AAOS Fellows."
From "The AAOS needs and wants your participation," by Vernon Tolo,
MD. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Bulletin. (8/2002)
http://www.aaos.org/wordhtml/bulletin/aug02/acdnws1.htm
===
Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants:
"Recent history has shown a decrease in attendance at chapter meetings
and a decrease in interest in serving on the FICPA’s committees. There
are numerous theories to explain this uncontestable fact of
diminishing interest. Several of the hypotheses advanced to explain
decreasing participation include:
Increased Specialization by CPAs:
This development may explain why chapters have difficulty providing
services and CPE to the broadest definition of CPA; there are simply
fewer and fewer general or sole practitioners. While committee
requests are down, attendance at specialized conferences continues to
grow, suggesting that the need to participate has declined while the
need for information has not.
Demographic Trends. The FICPA faces similar trends as other
organizations. Its members come from two worker families, have less
available time, have other professional development alternatives, have
more entertainment and leisure options, etc.
Increased Competition:
There has been a proliferation of organizations that provide CPE and
information. CPAs can get their support through a variety of sources,
including other associations, CPA firm networks, the Internet, etc.
Volunteerism is Declining:
Recent studies have shown that volunteerism itself has declined in
the United States in the past twenty years. To resist such a decline,
a volunteer organization must increase the value of the services it
provides.
Technology:
As is the case with many professional associations, information and
access to trade information have been the hallmark of their existence.
Increased computerization and the Internet have turned that
information into a commodity. Technology has made the consumption of
information without a person-to-person meeting both common and
efficient.
From "FICPA Restructure Task Force: Draft Recommendations, Committees
and Chapters."
http://www1.ficpa.org/restructure/chapters.html
===
The Computer Society:
"The society has a strong cadre of volunteers working together to
serve the profession. In recent years, however, the society has
experienced a dwindling volunteer base. External factors, such as
increasing competitive pressures on companies in an increasingly
global economy, pressure on employees at work to do more with less,
and the time pressures that come from trying to balance work and
personal life, all contribute to the problem. Volunteers find they
have less time to devote to activities that do not directly address
their company’s bottom line. Moreover, many employers who previously
supported volunteer activities are now discouraging such activities,
or at least are not providing financial resources to support such
activities. Most volunteer-driven professional organizations are
experiencing a similar situation."
"While recognizing the importance of volunteer participation to the
society and at the same time recognizing that volunteers are
experiencing increasing pressures to reduce volunteer activities, the
society has earmarked increasing volunteer participation as one the
most critical issues. The society must identify and recruit new
volunteers and also find ways to better leverage the scarce volunteer
resources it has available today. Also at issue is how to facilitate
the transition of a volunteer from one volunteer activity to another.
As an example, the society should put into place mechanisms that will
help interested editorial board members or technical committee members
find out about other volunteer opportunities within the society. The
society has a large pool of volunteers serving on editorial boards,
technical committees, standards committees, and conference committees,
but must create a system that taps this reservoir of volunteers more
effectively in the future."
Summary:
"The future vitality of the society lies with its volunteers, its most
critical resource. The society recognizes that the expansion of its
volunteer base is one of the key issues that it faces today. It also
recognizes that the increasing demands on volunteers at work result in
pressures to decrease their volunteer time. To effectively recruit new
volunteers, the society should have a systematic method to identify
potential volunteers and should establish volunteer recruitment as an
important part of the culture. Emphasis on keeping volunteers involved
through mentoring and making volunteer task more doable should also
become part of the culture. The society must also consider the
alternative that it may not get more volunteers nor more volunteer
time. Consequently, it must become more efficient in its operation and
use technology to optimize the output resulting from volunteer
commitment and time. Finally, the society should expand its current
activities to ensure that volunteers are recognized for their
contributions to the society."
Read "Engaging Members as Volunteers." Computer Society.
http://www.computer.org/csinfo/plan/sp980001.htm
====
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.:
(Statistics for growth and membership, including South America:)
"IEEE membership for month-end May 2002 totaled 339,209. This
represents an increase of 6,069 members (+1.8%) over May 2001. At
first glance this would appear to be somewhat good news; that is, that
despite the continuing uncertain economic outlook, and a fairly
significant 2002 dues increase, membership still continues to exhibit
positive growth in 2002 (albeit at a slightly subdued pace).
"However, if you look underneath the top level numbers, you will find
that higher grade memberships are down for the year. Further, this
decline in higher grade memberships has worsened from -0.2% in April,
to -0.5% in May. It is only due, therefore, to the 13% growth rate in
Student memberships that overall membership is showing gains for the
year."
"On a better note, as previously indicated, Student membership this
month is up 7,521 (+13%) over the previous May. Of particular interest
is the fact that for the first time in a long time all of our US
Regions are posting double-digit Student membership growth. In fact,
except for the 28.4% growth occurring in Region 10, US Student growth
this year is outpacing the rest of the world."
"The CAS student promotion was primarily designed to help increase CAS
Student Branch Chapters. To date this program has helped to create
four new CAS Student Branch Chapters - two in Columbia, and one each
in Argentina and Romania."
"IEEE is a volunteer membership organization. Although it maintains a
paid staff, it relies heavily on its volunteers in Sections, Student
Branches and Chapters to carry out the necessary work of recruiting
and retaining members by promoting activities, services and products
that benefit members. Volunteers are essential to the continued
well-being and growth of IEEE as a membership organization."
Read "Membership Development Progress Report May 2002." IEEE
http://www.ieee.org/organizations/rab/md/progrep/may02prog.html
(also see charts accompanying article)
===
Disabled American Veterans:
"DAV faces a risk of declining membership and decreasing individual
member participation. A number of factors contribute to this
situation: fewer veterans are eligible for DAV membership; aging
members are less able to participate in meetings and programs serving
veterans; and younger potential members are less attracted to
fraternal organizations than previous generations."
Read "Goals, Issues and Strategies." Disabled American Veterans.
http://www.dav.org/strategic/goals_print.html
====
American Society for Public Administration:
"In this environment, ASPA’s membership fell from 15,600 in 1989 to
9,800 in 1998. During the same period, the biennial membership
surveys have shown that ASPA members feel strongly that ASPA needs to
change. They think the Society has lost its focus. They believe in
the basic purposes of the organization - improve government management
and ethics, be an advocate for public service, and provide
opportunities for interaction between academics and practitioners -
but do not think ASPA is doing enough to advance these causes. They
also want more flexible membership and service options."
Read "Looking Back." ASPA
http://216.239.37.100/search?q=cache:1_9QteBgt1gC:www.aspanet.org/about/stplan.doc+&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
====
Some very interesting information about participation in various
organizations can be found in:
"A NATION OF SPECTATORS: HOW CIVIC DISENGAGEMENT WEAKENS AMERICA AND
WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT."
Final Report of the National Commission on Civic Renewal. (1998)
http://www.puaf.umd.edu/Affiliates/CivicRenewal/finalreport/table_of_contentsfinal_report.htm
An excerpt from the section titled:
"CIVIL SOCIETY: EVIDENCE--Associations and Democracy," at
http://www.puaf.umd.edu/Affiliates/CivicRenewal/finalreport/associations_and_democracy.htm
follows:
Unions:
"Members of union households are 8 percent more likely than other
people to vote. Though union membership is a relatively weak predictor
of overall associational membership,34 unionized workers do join more
voluntary organizations and make more charitable contributions than
other people do.35 The dramatic decline in union membership over the
past 40 years has been exacerbated by factors -- automation,
international competition, the relocation of factories to non-union
states, and changes in federal labor law enforcement -- that do not
directly affect other associations. The United States now ranks near
the bottom of industrialized democracies in union membership."
Fraternal organizations and women's auxiliaries:
".. have suffered deep losses in membership since 1974. These groups
traditionally had deep roots in their communities, and they offered
men and women of different classes an opportunity to talk and
cooperate more or less as equals -- something that professional
associations, which have grown in recent decades, do not do. Today, it
is not clear what (if anything) will replace the cross-class local
organizations that flourished through most of American history.36
Mailing-list associations:
"...from the National Rifle Association to the Children's Defense
Fund, have grown since 1970. Members of these groups contribute dues
to support professional staff, but they do not donate much time or
effort. It seems plausible that writing a check has a smaller effect
on the development of civic skills, knowledge, and interpersonal trust
than does attending a meeting or organizing a grassroots movement.
But mailing-list organizations should not be stereotyped. The Sierra
Club, for example, has been described as a group whose members merely
write checks and read newsletters. But in one May weekend, the Los
Angeles chapter alone organized 39 events, from classes to camping
excursions, that were cooperative and participatory.38
Still, a large shift from grassroots groups to national membership
organizations provides grounds for concern. The evidence suggests that
while levels of group membership have remained fairly constant during
the last quarter century, active involvement and leadership have
become less common, in part because the kinds of organizations that
now predominate offer relatively few opportunities for participation
and deliberation. Similarly, there has been a shift from groups that
are organized in communities to those that unite people around a
profession or interest. Both trends could be expected to lower social
capital, even given fairly constant overall membership levels. Indeed,
the past 25 years have seen a marked decline in the share of people
who belong to committees and serve as officers of local groups, a
trend that parallels declines in such forms of local political
activity as attending school board meetings and participating in
political parties.
====
Excerpts from "SOCIAL CAPITAL: Though some scholars might worry, it's
still abundant on soccer fields and in 12-step meeting rooms," by Ed
Wojcicki. Illinois Issues (2/2001)
http://civic.uis.edu/publish/Essay%20by%20Ed%20Wojcicki.pdf.
"Robert Samuelson of the Washington Post examined Putnam's data and
found increases, not decreases, in participation among several types
of organizations, such as literary and arts groups, professional
associations and sports clubs. "Americans mingle across racial,
sexual, and ethnic lines more now than ever," he wrote in 1996."
====
Sweden: Declines in Union membership:
=====================================
"According to figures published in spring 2001, the total membership
of Swedish trade unions continued to decline in 2000, with overall
union density down to 79% from 84% in 1994. Losses were recorded among
the affiliates of the blue-collar LO confederation, while the
white-collar TCO and especially the graduate SACO experienced small
increases. Recently published research indicates that unions are
failing to attract younger workers."
"Spring 2001 saw the publication of the 2000 membership figures for
Swedish trade unions The three central trade union confederations -
bringing together unions representing university graduates,
blue-collar workers and white-collar workers respectively - always
make their figures public, even when these are less than impressive.
As a whole the trade union movement continues to lose members, even if
there are some individual gains among the unions representing
professional staff. Swedish trade union density stood at 79% in 2000,
compared with 84% in 1994."
"The three union confederations are the blue-collar Swedish Trade
Union Confederation (Landsorganisationen, LO), the white-collar
Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees (Tjänstemännens
Centralorganisation, TCO) and the graduate Swedish Confederation of
Professional Associations (Sveriges AkademikersCentralorganisation,
SACO). LO and its 18 affiliated unions had a total of just over 2
million members as at 31 December 2000. TCO and its 18 affiliates had
about 1,250,000 members, while SACO had 492,706 members. All figures
include non-active members such as students and pensioners."
Read entire article, "Overall union membership declines." EIRO online
http://217.141.24.196/2001/06/Feature/SE0106105F.html
=====
Europe:
========
Examples of membership of younger people in various types of
organizations:
"Membership in art, music or educational organisations:
...has also increased in Western Europe (see Figure 3). In
Central-Western Europe it increased three-fold, from 8 % to 23 %, in
South-Western Europe more than four-fold from 6 % to 27 % and in
North-Western Europe it increased from 14 % to 27 %. In the
post-communist countries this had also increased, although not so
dramatically as in Western Europe.
"Membership of professional organisations:
... has also increased, although not by the same amount. In
Central-Western Europe, this had increased from 7 % to 10 %, in
South-Western Europe from 1 % to 12 %, in North-Western Europe it has
remained stable at 7 %. On this variable, there was also a rise in the
post-communist countries by a few per cent, although in Russia it has
declined from very low to almost nothing at all (see Figure 4).
"Membership in charitable organisations (see Figure 5):
... has increased very dramatically, especially in the South-West,
where it jumped from about 1 % to 13 % - the biggest rate of increase
of all. However, in all other Western European countries, as well as
in Central-Eastern Europe, there has been a rise in membership of
charitable organisations (although only a small number of the
population belongs to such organisations). Furthermore, the active
participation has increased even more than the passive participation
in these organisations (this is not shown here). Even in the
post-communist countries of the Baltic Republics, along with Bulgaria
and Romania, there has been an increase. Only in Russia has it
declined from already low levels. We could say therefore, that this
type of Third Sector activity has been of increasing importance in
most parts of Europe.
"In voluntary organisations:
...we find that the Central-Western European countries are more or
less stable at about 12 % over the 1990s (see Figure 6), whilst the
South-West has shot up from 3 % to 13 % and the North-West has stayed
in the lead by rising from 12 % to 17 %. In Central-Eastern Europe,
such membership has also increased from 4 % to 9 %. However, in the
other post-communist regions, we find a decline over the 1990s so that
membership of voluntary organisations is now almost negligible among
young people.
"Membership of environmental organisations:
... has increased in Western Europe, especially in South-Western
Europe where it rose eight-fold. In Central-Eastern Europe it also
rose, although in the other post-communist regions, it has declined
(see Figure 7). This reflects the fact, perhaps, that environmental
activism was important as part of the politics of opposition during
the perestroika period of the 1980s; now, along with other kind of
political activism, this has declined among young people in these
regions (Wallace and Kovatcheva 1998).
"Membership of labour unions:
... is one variable where there has been a general decline or not much
increase, in most countries. Whilst in Central-Western and
North-Western Europe, membership has been rather stable (see Figure
8), in South-Western Europe it has risen considerably. However, in all
the post-communist regions there has been a dramatic decline in
membership of labour unions, reflecting perhaps the fact that these
organisations formed part of the communist state administration in the
past and this is no longer the case. Therefore membership of labour
unions in the past was a duty; now it is not.
Read the entire article and see accompanying charts:
"Civic Participation among Young People in Europe," by Reingard
Spannring, Claire Wallace and Christian Haerpfer. Nordic Youth
Research Information Symposia.
http://www.alli.fi/nyri/nyris/nyris7/papers/wallace.htm#Figure%204
============================================================================
Rates of Volunteer Participation in Small Towns versus Large
Communities
************************************************************************
(As I said in my introduction, I am not sure this is what you want.
You were primarily interested in professional associations and their
local chapters)
"Towns thrive on volunteerism. Part of the reason towns operate so
efficiently is the huge amount of service offered by volunteers. The
Town Volunteer Fire Department is more than a proud part of our
heritage, with modern equipment and skills volunteers still play a
vital role in town government."
From "Are Towns Worth Saving." Town of Grafton. (2002)
http://www.grafton-town.org/newsletter/spring2001.pdf.
Canada:
Rural vs. urban:
"Small towns and rural areas have a higher rate of volunteering than
big cities (37 per cent vs. 29 per cent, 1997 survey)."
From "Volunteering in Numbers," by Daniel Schwartz, CBC's The National
(2/4/2002)
http://www.cbc.ca/news/bigpicture/volunteer/volunteering.html
Please let me know if you need further information, or can break down
any additional clarification requests into some specific examples that
may make for a more definitive search. Also, please advise me if the
links do not work.
I am happy to be of further help.
umiat-ga
Google Search strategy
+decline +volunteerism
+professional associations AND participation decline
rates of volunteerism in small versus large towns
volunteer participation AND declining OR increasing +professional
organizations
volunteer participation "South America" +associations
decline in membership South american associations |
Clarification of Answer by
umiat-ga
on
24 Feb 2003 08:25 PST
Hello, hmc!
Thanks for your patience. I hoped to have an additional answer posted
yesterday, but I wanted to make sure my research was as thorough as
possible.
After many more hours of searching for very specific sources to
answer your question concerning participation and volunteerism in
smaller, local chapters of professional organizations versus larger,
metropolitan chapters, I have found nothing definitive. I even asked
my fellow researchers for help, and they were unsuccessful as well.
However, I have an opinion, based on the following sources which
touch on the issue of participation overall. It seems that overall
participation in professional organizations is dropping, regardless of
chapter size or locale. When I say participation, I mean the type of
involvement that goes further than a name on a membership list and an
annual check for dues.
There are always those few members that carry the ball, but I get the
impression that the "members" that are willing to take the time to
actually attend meetings, or volunteer on an ongoing basis, are
dwindling everywhere.
Again, you are focusing on strictly professional associations, here.
With those types of organizations, you have the added burden of daily
work stress that is not necessarily relieved by attending a
professional meeting that covers the types of topics one encounters in
their work day. The meetings don't serve as a diversion or provide
another avenue of interest to follow, so the benefits of attending
meetings on a regular basis are not as fulfilling. Attendance might be
out of a feeling of guilt and necessity, as opposed to real interest.
If there are other means of staying in touch with the association's
doings, like newsletters or websites, it is very easy to make the
decision to "stay home" or do something enjoyable.
In contrast, civic participation is based on real interest and desire
to meet with those interested in promoting similar causes. There is a
sense of excitement and fulfillment that is not quite the same as
attending the meeting of a professional association which offers
nothing very different from what you do all day in your professional
life.
Now, there are some professional associations where attendees often
have a lot to gain - for instance, teachers unions. Salaries and
educational issues are often hotbeds of discussion, and there is
strength in numbers.
An interesting discussion about the various depths of participation,
personalities, and sociological factors that accompany volunteerism
can be found in the article:
"Participation in Voluntary Associations: Resources, Personality of
Both?" by Rene Bekkers. ICS/Department of Sociology. Utrecht
University (3/10/2000)
http://www.fss.uu.nl/soc/homes/bekkers/participation.pdf
According the researchers, the least demanding type of participation
is the monetary donation. Second is the more demanding obligation of
attending meetings. The greatest and most demanding involvement is
actual volunteerism.
On another interesting note, the paper mentions the pressure to
participate in smaller communities:
"Community size may also be important for civil membership, activity,
volunteering and donation. In small groups, collective action is
easier to achieve than in large groups.(Olson, 1965). In smaller
communities, "word gets around" more quickly. Citizens face stronger
sanctions for non-participation.
****
"In the USA, volunteering is not related to community size according
to some ( Wilson, 2000, p. 230) while others (Putnam, 2000) do report
a negative relationship.
****
===
So, with all that said, I am basing my "opinion" on what little else
I have managed to find, which reveals that volunteerism and
participations is a common cry among many professional associations,
no matter if the chapters are in large or small localities. The major
factor seems to be lack of time, and general interest.
===
Some thoughts:
Leaving the Association and participating individually may be more
rewarding:
****************************************************************************
"Ladd dispels two common myths spread by professor Robert Putnam of
Harvard University. The first is that plummeting PTA membership - from
12 million in 1960 to 7 million today -is a prime example of civic
disaffection.
****
Ladd shows instead that it’s a sign of disaffection with the national
PTA, which is closely linked to teachers unions. Parents haven’t
stopped participating in their children’s schools. Rather, Ladd shows,
they’ve joined independent parent-teacher groups that aren’t
affiliated with the national PTA.
****
Gallup polls for Phi Delta Kappa show attendance at PTA-like groups
rising from 36 percent in 1983 to 49 percent in 1994. The same polls
show other signs of increasing parental participation: a rise from 62
to 87 percent in the number of parents meeting with teachers or
administrators about their own child, from 42 to 79 percent in
attendance at a school play or concert, and from 16 to 27 percent in
attendance at a school board meeting.
Read "Bowling Together: Civil society in an age of 'moral
miniaturization,' by Adam Meyerson. The Philanthropy
Roundtable.(March/April 2002)
http://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/magazines/1999/july/meyerson.html
======
The changing nature of Associations and Organizations:
*****************************************************
Though the information from the following article applies primarily to
civic groups, it still has a great deal of application when it comes
to professional organizations:
Excerpts follow from "Associations Without Members," by Theda Skocpol.
The American Prospect.
http://www.prospect.org/print/V10/45/skocpol-t.html
"Even a group aiming to speak for large numbers of Americans does not
absolutely need members. And if mass adherents are recruited through
the mail, why hold meetings? From a managerial point of view,
interactions with groups of members may be downright inefficient. In
the old-time membership federations, annual elections of leaders and a
modicum of representative governance went hand in hand with membership
dues and interactive meetings. But for the professional executives of
today's advocacy organizations, direct mail members can be more
appealing because, as Kenneth Godwin and Robert Cameron Mitchell
explain, "they contribute without 'meddling'" and "do not take part in
leadership selection or policy discussions." This does not mean the
new advocacy groups are malevolent; they are just responding
rationally to the environment in which they find themselves."
"This brings us, finally, to what may be the most civically
consequential change in late-twentieth-century America: the rise of a
very large, highly educated upper middle class in which "expert"
professionals are prominent along with businesspeople and managers.
When U.S. professionals were a tiny, geographically dispersed stratum,
they understood themselves as "trustees of community," in the
terminology of Stephen Brint.
****
"Working closely with and for nonprofessional fellow citizens in
thousands of towns and cities, lawyers, doctors, ministers, and
teachers once found it quite natural to join, and eventually help to
lead, locally rooted, cross-class voluntary associations. But today's
professionals are more likely to see themselves as expert individuals
who can best contribute to national well-being by working with other
specialists to tackle complex technical or social problems."
****
"Cause-oriented advocacy groups offer busy, privileged Americans a
rich menu of opportunities to, in effect, hire other professionals and
managers to represent their values and interests in public life. Why
should highly trained and economically well-off elites spend years
working their way up the leadership ladders of traditional membership
federations when they can take leading staff roles at the top, or
express their preferences by writing a check?"
The Cry for Help! Some Examples:
*******************************
"Looking for Leaders - Local 59 and the profession need you!"
Minneapolis Federation of Teachers, Local 59.
http://www.mft59.org/leaders.html
The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers is engaged in a wide variety of
short and long term committees. They offer you an opportunity to
participate in professionally oriented activities, which provide you
with growth opportunities while enhancing the professional status of
teaching.
****
The Federation hopes members will consider involving themselves in
these activities.
****
Attached is a list of the various Federation committees and joint
labor/ management committees along with a description and approximate
time commitment. If you have previously been active in the Federation,
are a new member, now have the time to get involved, or would like to
renew your commitment, please indicate your preference by checking the
issues or activities that interest you most.
(Twenty-two positions need to be filled!)
===
From "A Call for Volunteerism," by Bernard J. DiMuro. (10/2002)
http://www.vsb.org/publications/valawyer/oct02/pres_page.pdf.
"...the work of the Virginia State Bar is dependent on the many
volunteers who, each day of the year, supply the herculean efforts
needed to fulfill our three core missions: professional regulation;
public access to legal services; and improving the legal system in
Virginia. Clearly, members of the bar continue to embrace the notion
of "being serviceable to many."
****
Yet, there does seem to be a decline in interest and participation on
such committees and conferences. I suspect that there are many reasons
for this decline -most of them sparked by modern day commercial
realities. Lawyers are facing increased competition from each other
and from non-lawyers to provide services that were once considered the
practice of law. The cost of legal services is increasing. There is a
more transient population and a faster pace of life. There is a
misconception that there is too little time for volunteer activities
if a lawyer is going to succeed."
****
====
From "Volunteer Series: Part 3 - Courting and Coaching Tomorrow's
Leaders." Realtor.org
http://www.realtorae.com/eomag.nsf/pages/tomorrows_leaders
"A decline in volunteerism, coupled with a dearth of strong leaders,
has prompted many REALTOR® associations to reevaluate how they
attract, train, and retain leaders."
====
General Reasons for Membership Decline
*************************************
I think the following article sums up the major reason for
non-participation, no matter whether the association meeting is local
or more metropolitan!
From "What happened to everybody?" by Amber Veverka. Charlotte
Observer (10/21/2002)
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/business/columnists/amber_veverka/4331576.htm
"A year or so ago, Audrey Mershon was juggling the responsibilities of
marriage, a toddler, a newborn, a job, church activities and
membership in an industry organization. She was stretched thin and
something had to go. Mershon dropped out of the trade group.
"I miss the networking," said Mershon, a waste reduction specialist
for Mecklenburg County. But, she added, "advanced education is on the
back burner and forget professional networking ... unless it's at
Wal-Mart on my weekly trips for diapers and formula."
****
Mershon is part of a growing trend. Membership rates in professional
organizations appear to be declining nationally, and many Charlotte
groups also are losing market share.
****
Organizations are struggling to find new ways to attract and keep
members -- or just get the ones they already have to show up at
meetings.
Mick Redohl, president of the AAIM Management Association in St.
Louis, Mo., has seen membership and attendance at conventions fall
over the last 18 months.
And when he looks for reasons, Redohl comes up with one answer: lack
of time.
"People seem to be a lot busier and many corporations have cut ...
staff dramatically," Redohl said. "A lot of people just don't feel
like they have the time to do it."
That's true for Wanda Sanders. She has a new baby and a busy job at
Duke Energy. For now she's taking a pass on groups she used to be part
of, including the Minority Professional Association and a leadership
development group her company helps spearhead.
"They're a good way to network and meet other professional people,"
she said. But with a husband, a 15-year-old daughter, and a baby,
evening meetings were too much. "I just said, `I can't do this.' "
Cynthia Murray, president of the Charlotte charter chapter of the
American Business Women's Association, thinks membership is down in
groups like hers because business information is so widely available.
"You can go on the Internet and take a course and you don't have to
leave your house," she said.
Murray's group has 40 members, the same or slightly fewer than it did
three years.A typical meeting at SouthPark Suites Hotel draws 25 to
30.
"I hear, `I'm involved in my church and we have Bible study on
Wednesday.' `I just had a baby.' `I don't want to drive across town to
south Charlotte,' " Murray said. "I don't get hung up on the fact that
people are not joining. Here's my take: Those people that want to be
part of this organization will be because they feel they're getting
something."
Theresa Salmen, president of TH Mgmt. Inc., a Charlotte firm that
manages nine area professional associations, said tailoring activities
to members' schedules is key.
To better compete for people's time, Salmen's group has reshuffled
programs at some of the associations it runs. "Your younger
generation, we're finding a lot of them like to do their association
activities during the day or in a compact manner, versus, `Let's go
out for dinner; let's have drinks,' " she said.
And groups have learned they must be able to answer the
"what's-in-it-for-me?" question would-be members increasingly ask
before they get involved.
"I have board members who say, `They need to do it for the good of the
industry!' " Salmen said. "I'm like, that's fine, but it doesn't bring
their checkbook out."
Indeed, busy schedules aren't the only reason people give for backing
out of industry and business groups. The down economy means
individuals and companies are cutting costs, and membership dues are
often one of the first expenses to go.
The Charlotte Chamber expects to have 4,300 to 4,400 members by year's
end, down substantially.
Still, even if a professional group's membership is growing, that
doesn't always mean everyone is participating. The Charlotte Dental
Society's membership is about the same as last year's, and is up from
two or three years ago, said Lloyd Johnston, who heads the group.
But out of 280 members, the group's meetings usually draw 120 to 150,
he said. He'd like to see more dentists participate in programs such
as the one that provides free dental care to area low-income children.
He's heard the reasons some don't participate -- they're in other
groups; they're caring for kids; they're helping elderly parents
Charlotte psychologist Meg Houlihan .....has seen many colleagues pull
out of trade groups.
"It's pretty typical that people start casting away things when they
get busy," she said. "A lot of people are in survival mode."
====
From "Ka Pa `ahana:(The Value of Industry/Diligence) Association
Update."
http://216.239.57.100/search?q=cache:GLNAbYPMBZwC:www.armapacific.org/PacificRegionLeadershipConference/State%2520of%2520ARMA2.ppt+declining+participation+in+professional+associations&hl=en&ie=UTF-8
"Associations on the whole have experienced declining participation at
the chapter level."
Membership dues as a percentage of total revenues continue to decline.
Demand for knowledge and professional development programs is
increasing.
Memberships becoming more specialized and segmented; Self-forming
groups are increasing.
Viability of chapters is a major question for many associations.
Frequent career changes affecting renewal rates and marketing
effectiveness for professional associations.
Shift occurring away from long-term, time-intensive volunteer
commitments toward short-term, tightly focused volunteer
opportunities.
====
Some pertinent weaknesses that are highlighted in a discussion of the
Canadian Library Association:
From "Strategic Planning." Canadian Association of Special Libraries
and Information Services. (7/22/2002)
http://www.cla.ca/caslis/swot.htm
Membership is decreasing
Membership is aging
Small volunteer base where burnout and apathy common and there is no
ongoing renewal
Overlap and (sometimes) conflict between National and Chapter levels:
no clearly defined roles & functions
Lack of involvement by most of the membership
====
From "Per Bulletin." May 2000 v.22, no.4. Petroleum and Energy
Resources Division.
http://www.sla.org/division/dper/Bulletins/b22-4.html
"Only a small percentage of the Division's membership is actively
involved in the Division activities. The survey is a good example of
declining involvement. Only 27% of the surveys were returned. Every
member was giving the opportunity to provide valuable input into the
future of the Division, but just over 1/4th of the membership
responded. Only 16% of the membership attended last year's annual
conference. I understand the financial and work restraints that have
been affecting our industry; however, the average attendance for other
divisions last year was 27%. The PER Division had the 3rd lowest
percentage of attendance. How does the Division increase the
participation level? Is it possible to increase the level of
participation? The Board will look at these issues."
"Finally, membership in the Division has been declining over the past
few years. 75% of the survey respondents believed the cause to be
downsizing, lay-offs and constricted budgets. Is it time to begin to
look for the demise of the PER Division? Is the lack of interest in
the Division coupled with the declining membership an indication that
the Division has outlived its usefulness? In my opinion, "No!" It
means that it is time to infuse some life into it."
===
From "Who Are Today's Geographers?" by Reginald Golledge. Directions
Magazine (10/2000)
http://www.directionsmag.com/columns.php?column_id=34
"Similar to trends in other associations (e.g., political science,
sociology, anthropology, geology) that appear to be facing membership
decline, young geographers do not always see the advantages of joining
a Professional Association. "The fees!" they cry. "What do we get for
them?"
===
From "The Power & Promise of Affiliates: 2001 Affiliate Breakfast
Speech." Leila Christenbury, 2001 NCTE President-Elect.(Nat'l Council
of Teachers of English)
http://www.ncte.org/affiliates/affiliatebreakfastspeech.shtml
"We have, of course, a huge challenge these days: at this point as
both editor of English Journal and as a member of the presidential
team of NCTE, I have traveled to dozens of affiliates and participated
in half a dozen affiliate leadership conferences (my first trip was in
1994 to New Mexico, and just last month I was in western
Pennsylvania). In my work with affiliates I find that almost everyone
today discusses the same two issues: a generally declining membership
in numbers and a real difficulty in getting newer members to assume
leadership roles. These challenges appear to be a nationwide
phenomenon, as I have had to reassure numerous folks. The fact of the
matter is that we are in very different times than when I and some of
you joined our affiliates. All professional organizations--and this
includes the American Medical Association, the American Bar
Association as well as traditional civic groups such as Rotary,
Kiwanis and even religiously affiliated organizations such as Hadassah
and Knights of Columbus-are in membership decline. We are in an age
where people do not automatically turn to large organizations; we are
in an era when it is not assumed that joining a professional
organization is important, necessary, or even helpful."
"Like many organizations, we have experienced a very steady decline in
membership Our challenge is to continue to keep current members and to
attract new ones, for without that kind of strength in numbers, we
will not be effective in advocating for students and our classrooms,
in articulating to the public what we stand for and what our vision
is."
====
An overall statement:
From: "Civic Participation," by Congressman Lee Hamilton. Center on
Congress (1998)
http://congress.indiana.edu/outreach/frames/frame18.htm
"But I am concerned about declining involvement of citizens in the
community. In recent decades, many traditional community organizations
have suffered declines in membership and participation. For example,
the number of volunteers for the Boy Scouts and the Red Cross has
dropped substantially since 1970; labor union participation has
dropped by half since the mid-1950s; the League of Women Voters,
Jaycees, and Lions have all seen double-digit drops in membership
levels in the last 20 or 30 years. Anyone who has worked in an
enterprise that depends on volunteers knows how difficult it is to
recruit and keep them."
"Americans, I believe, retain their desire to help their families and
communities, but they must do it within the realities of two-career
families, hectic lifestyles, and rapid changes in the economy and in
their careers."
===========================================================================
Additional Reading:
"FCBA Membership Survey: Executive Summary."
http://www.fcba.org/Executive_Summary.html
I hope this additional information sheds some light on the overall
general decline in professional association participation and
membership. From the research, it appears that the decine is pervasive
throughout all levels, not just the large metropolitan chapters.
I am sorry I could not find one, definitive article that provides a
concrete answer. However, I believe you can make a pretty informed
conclusion from the referenced material.
If I can be of further help, please let me know before rating this
answer. Also, please advise me if the links don't work.
Thank you for your question. Take care!
umiat-ga
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