Volunteering in developing countries

Abstract

This chapter presents a comparative analysis that explains the differences and similarities of how solidarity and volunteering are expressed in two developing countries,: Mexico and South Africa. It presents information and evidence that the generosity of individuals can be larger than previously considered by major worldwide studies on this activity, since overlooked informal volunteering surpasses the formal realm of established civil society organizations. It does not, however, generalize these results to all countries of the South but brings forth the relevance for research on the variations of volunteer activity around the globe, particularly in developing nations, since studies from both countries point to the importance of the influence of historical and cultural contexts that affect the manner in which volunteering evolves. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010.