دور العمل التطوعي في تعزيز رأس المال الاجتماعي في المملكة العربية السعودية : دراسة ميدانية بمدينة الرياض

Abstract EN

The study explored the extent to which voluntary work enhanced the social capital of volunteers in cratitable societies in Riyadh, KSA.

It also aimed to identify the importance of voluntary work and obstacles deterring it from the perspective of volunteers.

Furthermore, the study investigated differences in the effect of voluntary work on social capital by age, social status, educational level, duration of voluntary work.

The researcher used the descriptive method and collected the required data via a researcher - developed 32 - item questionnaire groping the effect of voluntary work on social capital.

The questionnaire had five dimensions: belongingness, social relations, tolerance, trust and cooperation.

Voluntary work proved to have a strong positive effect on social capital (M=2.88 out of 3).

The descending order of social capital dimensions was as follows: cooperation (M=2.96), social relations (M=2.92), tolerance (M=2.89), trust (M=2.84), belongingness (M=2.80).

Obstacles of voluntary work proved to be basically administrative.

Results also revealed that the effect of voluntary work on social capital was the same for all respondents regardless of personal variables.

That is, no significant differenc es were found by any of the personal variables.

Recommendations and suggestions for further research are offered.