ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews patterns of individual giving in light our background knowledge about community. It deals with a discussion of the theories of individual benevolence. The chapter is concerned especially with the influence of voluntarism on the development of a sense of community. It focuses on some theories about how schools and other organizations function within their environments. Elements of school voluntarism may be seen in light of James S. Coleman's understanding of the some social galaxies and how they function. School voluntarism stands as an important exception to the well-asserted conflict between the two social galaxies of societies. Modern corporate actors provide a social environment analogous to the constructed physical environment in which human beings live. The chapter concludes by exploring how well voluntary public schools are positioned to act as bridging institutions between colliding parts of societies.
