The cultural bases of volunteering: Understanding and predicting attitudinal differences between flemish red cross volunteers

Abstract

This article presents an empirical evaluation of the current debate on the changing nature of volunteering in the light of sociological modernization theories. Focusing on the cultural bases ofvolunteerism, a representative sample of 652 Flemish Red Cross volunteers is grouped according to a multidimensional set of attitudinal measures. The Unconditional, Critical, Reliable, and Distant dispositional clusters that emerge from the analysis cohere with distinct patterns of volunteering, ranging from core to peripheral volunteer positions. Furthermore, both cultural modernization indicators and organizational features account for the dispositional variations observed. Although the analysis conducted clearly reveals the surplus value of a multidimensional sight on volunteering, the research outcomes warn against a too-strong focus on "grand modernization narratives." The cultural bases of Flemish Red Cross volunteering may best be understood in terms of a threefold dynamic: Differences in cultural frames of reference intervene with life cycle effects and processes of organizational socialization. ©2004 Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action.