Abstract of "Social Cohesion and Voluntary Associations" by Brian Heuser

Author Abstract

"Voluntary organizations exert great influence over how social norms and ethical codes are guided into action. As such, they have a significant impact on societal levels of social cohesion. Although social capital involves generalized trust becoming manifest as spontaneous sociability, social cohesion is determined by how that sociability is translated into autonomous action for the common good. In this model, social capital creates the potential for beneficent behavior through trust, whereas social cohesion is the product of that behavior. Herein, active participation in voluntary organizations often serves as the avenue through which these actions are both shaped and carried out. As such, these organizations can either create or diminish social cohesion through both their functions and their dispositions."