Voluntary Work, Informal Help and Trust: Changes in Finland

Abstract

This study examines participation in voluntary work and informal help of another household and their connection to trust in Finland. I ask what changes have taken place in participation in voluntary work, informal help and trust in the past ten years. I use the Time Use Survey conducted at Statistics Finland as the data material. According to the definition of Statistics Finland's Time Use Survey, volunteering may be acting as a secretary, fund-raising, sports instruction, companionship service or other such organised activity. Participation in voluntary work in Finland is at a high level. The concept of social capital originates from the view that in order to understand well-being of societies, account should be taken of not only the economy but also of the social dimension of society, such as the ability to cooperate and the networks supporting it. Although Finland seems to have a strong foundation for communality and social capital, communal activity and social capital are not evenly divided between different population groups. Participation in voluntary work is connected to a high socio-economic group and education. Households of highly educated and upper-level employees received also the most informal help, while households of workers, unemployed and pensioners gained the least informal help. A functioning civic society with voluntary work through organisations and informal help can only supplement the basic services of the welfare state, but cannot replace them.