DOES MORE MATERIALISM MEAN LESS PHILANTHROPY? IT DEPENDS ON SOCIAL TRUST

摘要

In this research, we examine the interaction of materialism, a personal value, and social trust, a social contextual factor, on people's level of engagement in philanthropic behavior. Philanthropy is an important fabric in American people's lives. The volunteering rates among U.S. citizens in informal capacity (such as helping neighbors), civic groups (including religious and school groups), and formal organizations are 65.1%, 44.1%, and 26.8% respectively in 2011 (U.S. Census Bureau 2012). In fact, the volunteer rate in the U.S. is among the highest among OECD countries (Hackl et al. 2012). Charity giving in the United States as a whole increased by 4.0 percent in 2011 from 2010 to $298.42 billion in contributions, even during a time of slow economic growth (GivingUSA 201).