Trust, sense of community, and civic engagement: Lessons from Australia

This article examines the association between trust, sense of community, and civic engagement, with a particular focus on the socioeconomic characteristics of individuals, using data from the Household, Income, and Labor Dynamics in Australia Survey. Through the use of panel logit and binary panel data models, we draw three core observations. First, there is evidence that trust is associated with civic engagement in Australia, particularly in the case of volunteering. Trust is a prerequisite for women to participate in volunteering but not for men, where a sense of community matters more. Second, a high sense of community matters for both types of participation, political and volunteering. Third, the relationships between trust, sense of community, and civic engagement are present among the Baby Boomer and Generation X generations but not the Generation Y generation, which participates differently. The study makes an important contribution to the literature by unmasking the gender and generation stories and debunking popular myths about the unwillingness of new Australians to engage in associative behavior.