There is provided a switching element including two electrodes and an organic bistable material sandwiched between the electrodes, which is expected to be applied to an organic memory element or the like. A switching element which includes: two electrodes; and an organic thin film containing a metal fine particle and interposed between the electrodes, and which exhibits such a current bistability that the switching element has two stable resistance values in response to a voltage applied, the switching element characterized in that the metal fine particle is dispersed in the organic thin film with a metal fine particle-dispersing agent containing a polymer having a dithiocarbamate group and having a weight average molecular weight of 500 to 5,000,000.