Suchergebnisse

Formal common interest associations appear to have become prominent during the neolithic, but to have declined subsequently in preindustrial nations. The industrial revolution supported a new proliferation. With this, the mode of operation changed: associations came to unite on the basis of rational‐legal sanctions. Modern voluntary associations may contribute to social stability as adaptive mechanisms for traditional institutions. They may socialize and support individuals caught in the disorder of social change.

Researchers have claimed that trends in voluntary association participation provide the starting point for examinations of social capital—a reflection of the quality of social ties at the individual or community level of analysis. This research addresses the link between participation in voluntary associations and social capital by examining trends in U.S. participation levels over a 21-year period. Using data from the General Social Survey (1974-1994), the findings demonstrate that, although aggregate voluntary association participation decreased between 1974 and 1984, participation increased in the later half of the time period. Further analyses disaggregating participation by the type of voluntary association demonstrate that participation in all but four types of association either increased or remained stable over the period. The article concludes with implications for future research exploring the relationship between voluntary association participation and social capital.

The article is devoted to the history and contemporary situation in the legislation on voluntary associations in Russia.

AbstractThis article uses longitudinal data to explore the antecedents of survival among local voluntary associations. The literature distinguishes between deterministic and voluntaristic accounts of organizational survival. In a deterministic perspective, external selection processes determine whether organizations persevere. In a voluntaristic approach, strategic choices and organizational design are paramount. The analyses show that both perspectives have explanatory power. When it comes to avoiding organizational death, organizations can influence their destiny substantially by being extroverted, selecting a diverse and qualified board, and establishing ties to higher organizational levels.

This study explored the potential of a new approach to predicting and understand ing black participation in voluntary community organizations. A set of variables based on Mischel's (1973) "cognitive social learning variables" was compared with a larger set of traditional demographic and personality variables for ability to dis criminate blacks who differed in their level of participation. The "cognitive social learning variables" are person variables which attempt to conceptualize how the qualities of the person alter the input of stimuli and how complex behavior patterns are generated by a interaction of person and situation. Analyses indicated the ap proximate statistical comparability of the two sets. Advantages of the use of the cognitive social learning approach for understanding and intervening in black par ticipation in voluntary organizations are discussed.