Intergenerational Transmission of Volunteering - Socialization and Status Transmission Effects Disentangled

This paper focuses on the extent and mechanisms of intergenerational transmission of volunteering in Germany. A possible explanation of intergenerational transmission of volunteering is based on the influence of parental socialization during formative years of adolescence (aged 14-17 years). Respectively, parents can set role models by volunteering themselves which can be observed and imitated by their children due to social learning process which may have long lasting effects even after leaving parental home. However, social, cultural and financial resources provided by parents can also facilitate or impede volunteering. The social status of parents can influence the volunteering of parents as well as the children, and serve insofar as mediator of intergenerational transmission processes and respectively may overlap the socialization effect. Drawing on the German Socio Economic Panel Data (1984-2011) this study aims to disentangle socialization and status transmission processes. The analysis shows a clear positive correlation between parental volunteering during the formative period of its children and young adult's volunteering now, even controlling for parental and children's education and social status of parents. Thus, the results are consistent with socialization hypothesis and do not support the status transmission hypothesis.