I greatly enjoyed this week’s readings on the role of religion in the nonprofit sector. I am extremely interested in religion from a sociological perspective. As evidenced by this chapter, I find it fascinating that it is one of few subjects that seem to pertain to all four sectors of American society: the household sector, the government sector, the for-profit sector, and the not-for-profit sector. From the very first page of the chapter where it is said that “the United States has long been recognized as one of the most religious of the world’s developed nations,” I found multiple points during the text that were particularly noteworthy and intriguing. Perhaps my favorite quote came from page 62 where it says that:
“Ninety percent of American adults say they believe in God and pray and that religion is important in their lives. Seventy percent claim membership in a religious congregation. Forty percent report belonging to a religiously related support group. When asked what degree of confidence they have in major societal institutions, Americans rank religion at or near the top, far above corporations, unions, the media, or federal, state or local government. Religion, the military, and the U.S. Supreme Court are consistently the three top-rated institutions.”
I have a deep and sincere respect for religion for a number of personal reasons, and regardless of your own personal opinion, I think it is quite interesting to explore the idea that religion, which relies so heavily on the idea of faith in the intangible, is given top marks from the American public’s confidence. I find that to be a prime example of how goodwill and a sense of commitment to the wellbeing of others is a prominent aspect of the nonprofit sector in the United States, that we will pick ourselves up from our busy lives and strapped budgets and provide for those in need in our communities when our governments and our societal “safety nets” of social services fail. Volunteering is, as I’ve mentioned in past blogging, is an extremely big player in my own life, and I think it is my experiences as a volunteer that have made me who I am today. Interestingly, our reading also quotes Robert D. Putnam, a sociologist and public policy analyst who has studied and written extensively on the idea that Americans are, for a number of reasons, on a downward spiral because of the growing loss of social capital in our lives. For a number of reasons, including reduced involvement in church activities and organized religion, Putnam thinks that we are losing out on gaining valuable social skills and civic norms by not connecting with each other and having experiences like volunteering and exploring issues facing our society. I would likely agree that our own loss of social capital is truly unfortunate and may be detrimental to future generations if these trends continue. I actually work as a swim instruct for the City of Eugene, and in the two years that I have been at the pool I am at, kids’ involvement in swim lessons has lessened almost every quarter down to our current all-time lows. Examples like this where kids are not getting the opportunities to interact with others and experience new things are really a bummer, and I hope we won’t be paying the price for it down the road.
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ReplyDeleteZach, is the reason kids aren't participating because of the cost/economy or because they don't *want* to? I think that unfortunately, we will see less and less voluntary participation in younger kids. From experience, I see that "optional" events we hold with high school kids are very sparsely attended and it frustrates me. I can picture them at home on the XBOX or on Facebook. They just don't *want* to go. Volunteering makes you feel good and what person (especially a young kid or teenager) can't use a little self self esteem boost? Volunteering is also an important educational tool because there are things you cannot learn online or in a book. I think this is part of what Putman was getting at. It seems that with every generation the attitude of giving back seems to become less important.
Your writing packs a punch because it makes clear your strong faith in a non confrontational, approachable way. Respect.
I think that the non involvement of kids/youth has multiple explanations. I have heard some professors express frustration with our generation for not "doing" anything. This particular professor was speaking to our generations apparent lack of interest in organizing around controversial decisions and laws. It is difficult to pin down the one source for disinterest in things that used to be considered the norm. I agree with Christi that maybe technology is to blame or maybe money or maybe interests are simply shifting. Maybe our generation takes action via internet campaigns. I believe that change is inevitable and it is human nature to resist it, but just because something isn't the way it once was doesn't make the adaptation negative.
ReplyDeleteGreat take on religion. I think your point about people becoming less and less involved is right on the mark. I have friends who attend church regularly. I've heard them all comment on the increasing lack of attendance and giving. As I've stated in other responses, I believe churches are one of the major players in shaping our society's values. As fewer people attend church, the less these values are shared between one another. I do think there is starting to be a shift from learning our social values from churches to other institutions. Most high school students are required to volunteer a certain number of hours to graduate. This requirement isn't as effective compared to sitting in church every Sunday, but at least it's something.
ReplyDeletePutnam's take on why Americans are in a downward spiral is really interesting. I'm not sure that church involvement decline is number one for everyone, but I can definitely understand it. I read once that religious people tend to put their religion in the center of their lives and then their other social engagements/involvement stem from that center. For example volunteering for a soup kitchen with other members of your congregation, and that soup kitchen that is ultimately organized by and located at your church are the main reasons why you might be involved with that volunteer work. I think it is important to understand this concept when reviewing the chapter on religion in the text book; it's important for volunteer work to be easily accessible to people as well as close to their heart or for a cause close to their social network.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that comes to mind after reading your post is with regard to our decline in young peoples' participation in volunteer activities. I find the steady decrease in these numbers worrisome as much as anyone else. I agree with Saba & Christi, that there are a number of contributing factor, for instance, higher demands on kids to perform well in school--you can't really subsist on a job you get out of high school anymore (or at least this isn't the norm). Kids (i.e. minors) are given way more rights now because of child advocacy laws, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I think parenting has changed because of it. Technology is also a prime factor, however I believe that it is the norm for kids to grow out of the obsession for the most part too. Novelty wheres off. So, I think what needs to happen is a new approach to attracting the involvement of young people to the non profit sector.
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