Voluntary Behavior of The Elderly in Donmueang District, Bangkok

Abstract

This research article 3 purposes of this research are: 1) to study in the volunteer spirit of elderlies in Don Mueang District, Bangkok Metropolis; 2) to study the factors affecting the volunteer spirit association of elderlies in Don Mueang District, Bangkok Metropolis; and 3) to study in the characteristics of volunteer spirit activities and the results from conducting volunteer spirit activities of elderlies and social development in Don Mueang District, Bangkok Metropolis. The type of this research is mixed-method research using quantitative research methodology and it is also the survey research. The populations employed in this research were 25,760 male and female elderlies, 60 years of age and above, residing in Don Mueang District, Bangkok Metropolis and the sample group consisted of 394 persons. The size of sample group was prescribed by comparing with Taro Yamane’s instant table. The data was analyzed by using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, including the t-test and F-test conducted by One-Way Analysis of Variance and Scheffe’s Post Hoc Comparison. The part of qualitative research was conducted by using the in-depth interview with the key informants and the Content Analysis Technique was also employed. The results indicated that:

1. The overall volunteer spirit activities of elderlies in Don Mueang District, Bangkok were at a high level (3.82). The consideration in each aspect showed that the highest mean was yielded from the aspect of public consciousness (3.86), followed by the aspect of social development determination (3.85), the social sacrifice (3.80), and the lowest mean was yielded from the aspect of assisting others, respectively.
2. The educational difference of elderly volunteers did not affect the volunteer spirit activities of elderlies whatsoever but the gender, age, occupation differences affected such activities. For the aspect of communication channel for volunteer association, the majority of elderly volunteers used telephone, largely mobile phone, as the medium for the association among volunteers. The reasons for association to conduct volunteer activities in order to develop the social were happiness, self-worth, and the sense of requiring to share.
3. The majority of activities performed by the elderly volunteers in Don Mueang District were cleaning, natural environment maintenance such as planting trees, looking after water resources, conducting the campaign regarding wastes under the Attractive House Project, Waste Reduction Project, Reduction Plastic Bag Use Campaign Project, and the campaign for the protection against mosquito larvae. Therefore, the elderlies determine to see the happiness of all in the social by sharing good things to others, seeing the happiness of others, including passing skills, knowledge, and life experiences gathered from their life as the lessons to others, and they would be proud to see the success on what they did, they would know themselves better, and they would learn the practices under the principles of adequacy, sufficiency, reasonability, and assisting others. All of the aforementioned reasons contribute the success of the elderly volunteer spirit jobs.