ABSTRACT
While the stock of social capital and quality of institutions provide the context for participation in environmental organizations, there are other factors to consider. In this chapter we investigate and report on the existing literature to inform our own empirical analysis in the chapters to follow. We ask what is meant by proenvironmental behaviors, identify participation in environmental organizations as one of those behaviors, and discuss factors affecting the decision whether to participate or not. We also take a closer look at the costs and benefits of voluntary participation, noting that the notion of costs and benefits is not restricted to material or monetary considerations. We recognize that neither costs nor benefits will be borne equally by every sector of the population. Hence, it is important to determine which socio-demographic and socio-economic factors influence the decision to volunteer in an environmental organization.
