Overview

Abstract (English)

Using World Values Survey data from 1981-2004 and country-level data on economic development and religious attendance, this study investigates how individual income affects voluntary association membership across 55 countries. This study examines four different levels of membership: only active membership, only inactive membership, a mixture of active and inactive memberships and non-membership. Multilevel logistic regression reveals both individual and contextual-effects on voluntary association membership that differ for only inactive membership. As income doubles, individuals are 10% more likely to be active and inactive voluntary association members than non-members and 6.8% more likely to be only active members than non-members. Income has no significant effect on the likelihood of inactive membership only. In all models, the relationships between income and membership vary between countries. Contextual economic development and religious attendance cannot account for any of this variation but do explain some of the between-country variation in average levels of membership. fixed effects of these variables are examined. The significance of the findings lie in their support for claims that: 1) economic disadvantage is having significant negative effects that could lead to further social marginalisation of poorer individuals and 2) differences exist between active and inactive membership that must be considered when investigating voluntary association membership.

Abstract (French)

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