PROPENSITY TO SOCIAL COMMITMENT
After completing their working life, people have to make a plan for other 20/30 years of life. Although they have solved their economic problems, older people may incur into the alienating feeling of being useless or being a burden for others, if they do not participate in social activities of some kind. This research project was carried out by the Vicenza University of Third Age in 1999 and aimed at knowing the inclination of older students to undertake some kind of social commitment. 1.237 questionnaires were analysed. 72.9% came from women and 21.7 from men, of these 83.2% living in the city and 16.8% living in the country. The results highlighted the general belief in the usefulness of some service commitment to the community (93%), the reluctance or fear of undertaking new permanent obligations, while those who already had experience of commitment declared themselves satisfied (63.2%) or rewarded (29.3%). It came out between the lines that people are interested in cultural activities and feel that they should promote and hand on above all anthropological culture.
1. Interests and commitments. The University has developed in students an inclination to culture, which is confirmed by all the research material. These people’s life is spent in housework activities (48.4%), in University attendance (70%) and in cultural activities (28.3%). When asked how they spend their time, they indicated the following priorities: seeing to their things (66.2%), reading and studying (44.3%), travelling (47.8%), meeting friends (39.3%), attending conferences and shows (27.9%). They are economically independent (a little 8.6% - quite 73.3% - a lot 18.2%) and satisfied with their life (a little 5.8% - quite 68.1% - a lot 26.1%).
2. Propensity to social action. Those who answered to the questionnaire
consider social commitment as useful and dutiful (93%) and are ready to
work for free (93.8%), possibly with refund of expenses (73%). However,
they show some difficulty in undertaking permanent obligations (24.3%),
as they fear for their health, they are afraid they might tire themselves
out (18.1%) or that they might be unable to carry out tasks (17.7%). The
answers to the question about what they wish to do on a social level were
more uncertain. They have some interests: they would like to dedicate themselves
to their grandchildren (16.28%), to voluntary service (10%), to a library
(9.15%), to storytelling (7.02%), to territorial research (6.10%). Previous
experiences in voluntary service were satisfactory (good 37.41% - rewarding
17.25%). They believe that the University should prepare people to deal
with social commitment (70.99%).