This article aims at providing an overview of patterns, potentials, and limitations of formal volunteering among older Europeans. Based on data from the 2004 Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), we first describe cross-national variations in formal voluntary engagement and report on recent research investigating societal determinants of volunteering. We then discuss general issues related to policies and programs promoting older people’s voluntary engagement. This is complemented by some critical remarks on the current “productive aging” debate in Europe. Pointing out limitations of volunteering in the older population, we conclude by suggesting a broad concept of aging, which encompasses both productive and consumptive elements, as an appropriate model for our aging societies.
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