When do people discover psycho-social determinants of volunteerism in everyday life

Introduction Volunteering serves as the foundational basis to form and sustain the functioning of civil society (Hustinx, Handy, Cnaan, Brudney, Pessi & Yamuchi, 2010). Volunteerism allows people to contribute and establish connections with their communities and social causes (Omoto, Synder, & Martino, 2000).In case of volunteerism, an individual may rendera variety of services to others, including health care to the sick, companionship to the lonely, counseling to the troubled, and tutoring to the illiterate at either regular intervals or as an ongoing process (Clary et al., 1998; Mesch, Rooney, Steinerg & Denton, 2006). Volunteering helps nongovernmental and nonprofit oriented organizations to exist, and also provides satisfaction to the individual and the society. Although the motivation that drives people to volunteer can vary and can be multifaceted, nearly one billion people throughout the world volunteer through public and non-profit organizations (Widjaja, 2010). Comprehending Volunteerism Some of us spend our energy and time for the benefits of other people and organizations without the expectation of any return and this is the crux of volunteerism (McCiintock, 2004). Voluntarism is the overall guiding principle or system of doing something or relying on voluntary action. Butcher and Smith (2010) define it universally as "a positive channel for the simple desireb h to help others (p. 27)." On the other hand, volunteerism is the explicit "act or practice of doing volunteer work." Volunteerism can be an extension to voluntarism, but not the whole of it. Although the underlying concepts that guide the both are same, i.e. volunteer decision, activation, motivation, perceived reward, satisfaction, benefit and commitment (Clary et al., 1998; Murnighan, Kim& Metzger, 1993; Piliavan & Charng, 1990; Stebbins, 1999), volunteerism simultaneously allows for the satisfaction of personal values and assistance in societal altruistic demands. It has, thus, been described as "any activity in which time is given freely to benefit the other person, organization or group" (Wilson, 2000). It requires planning, decision making, follow through and feedback. It is done among different " communities, institutions, organizations and cultures, incorporating people from all races, ethnicities, genders, religions, life cycle groups, socioeconomic and educational levels (Bussell & Forbes,