Introduction: Why this Book?

The focus of this book is on the role voluntary organizations play in generating generalized trust, and in the enhancement and maintenance of a democratic political culture. Voluntary organizations are not only supposed to have an institutional impact by challenging governance structures, but they also arguably instill civic-mindedness in people who participate in activities. However, bonding associations where ethnic ties predominate are supposed to have a negative socialization effect on their participants. This is opposed to bridging voluntary organizations, where ethnic bonds are surpassed. This chapter discusses why interethnic contact in organizations should explain generalized trust. It embeds the research questions in previous work and elaborates the rationale of the research design.