Abstract
There is limited understanding of how attitudinal variables such as generalized trust influence formal volunteering compared with demographic and socioeconomic variables. Using data from the 2005 Japanese General Social Survey (JGSS), this study examines the effects of generalized trust on regular and irregular formal volunteering in Japan. As the majority of studies on formal volunteering are based in Western countries, focusing on a non-Western society extends our knowledge of volunteering decisions. Japan is known for its normative emphasis on group affiliation and in-group cooperation, and its citizens are often said to be distrustful of strangers. In such a society, how does generalized trust affect formal volunteering? A bivariate probit analysis of the JGSS data suggests that generalized trust is significantly and positively associated with the probability of irregular formal volunteering, but not with regular formal volunteering. Implications of these findings are discussed for future research linking generalized trust to formal volunteering.
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