This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (17) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by van Oorschot, W. Articles by Arts, W. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The social capital of European welfare states: the crowding out hypothesis revisited

Tilburg University, the Netherlands, w.v.oorschot{at}uvt.nl

Wil Arts

Tilburg University, the Netherlands

A recurrent critique on the welfare state is that it crowds out social capital (networks, trust and norms). However, the empirical evidence on the crowding out hypothesis is still scarce, findings are sometimes contradictory, and there is variation in the measurement of social capital. In this article we explore the crowding out hypothesis on the basis of data from the European Values Survey wave 1999/2000 for 23 European countries. Compared to (the few) other comparative studies on the hypothesis, our study contains more recent data and for a larger number of countries. Instead of focusing on a single dimension of social capital, we use an eight-scale measurement model of social capital; we explore the relationship between welfare (regime type, social spending) and social capital at both country and individual level, and we control for confounding factors. At the aggregate country level we found no evidence at all in favour of the hypothesis. At the individual level we found that it does matter for people’s social capital in which type and size of welfare state they live. However, there is only evidence for a crowding out effect in case of people’s trustworthiness. With regard to other forms of social capital, there is at best mixed evidence, but mostly our findings contradict the crowding out hypothesis altogether.

Key Words: Europe • social capital • social policy • welfare state

Journal of European Social Policy, Vol. 15, No. 1, 5-26 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/0958928705049159


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Freitag and M. Buhlmann Crafting Trust: The Role of Political Institutions in a Comparative Perspective Comparative Political Studies, December 1, 2009; 42(12): 1537 - 1566. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. Kohli, K. Hank, and H. Kunemund The social connectedness of older Europeans: patterns, dynamics and contexts Journal of European Social Policy, October 1, 2009; 19(4): 327 - 340. [Abstract] [PDF]

				F. Pichler and C. Wallace Social Capital and Social Class in Europe: The Role of Social Networks in Social Stratification Eur. Sociol. Rev., June 1, 2009; 25(3): 319 - 332. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. Finsveen and W. van Oorschot Access to Resources in Networks: A Theoretical and Empirical Critique of Networks as a Proxy for Social Capital Acta Sociologica, December 1, 2008; 51(4): 293 - 307. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. Gesthuizen, T. van der Meer, and P. Scheepers Education and Dimensions of Social Capital: Do Educational Effects Differ due to Educational Expansion and Social Security Expenditure? Eur. Sociol. Rev., December 1, 2008; 24(5): 617 - 632. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. van Ingen Social Participation Revisited: Disentangling and Explaining Period, Life-Cycle and Cohort Effects Acta Sociologica, June 1, 2008; 51(2): 103 - 121. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. Kaasa and E. Parts Individual-Level Determinants of Social Capital in Europe: Differences between Country Groups Acta Sociologica, June 1, 2008; 51(2): 145 - 168. [Abstract] [PDF]

				F. Adam Mapping social capital across Europe: findings, trends and methodological shortcomings of cross-national surveys Social Science Information, June 1, 2008; 47(2): 159 - 186. [Abstract] [PDF]

				P. Bohnke Are the poor socially integrated? The link between poverty and social support in different welfare regimes Journal of European Social Policy, May 1, 2008; 18(2): 133 - 150. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. A. Larsen The political logic of labour market reforms and popular images of target groups Journal of European Social Policy, February 1, 2008; 18(1): 50 - 63. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. A. Larsen The Institutional Logic of Welfare Attitudes: How Welfare Regimes Influence Public Support Comparative Political Studies, February 1, 2008; 41(2): 145 - 168. [Abstract] [PDF]

				P. Raeymaeckers, C. Dewilde, L. Snoeckx, and D. Mortelmans Childcare Strategies of Divorced Mothers in Europe: A Comparative Analysis Eur. Sociol. Rev., February 1, 2008; 24(1): 115 - 131. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. T. Kaariainen Trust in the Police in 16 European Countries: A Multilevel Analysis European Journal of Criminology, October 1, 2007; 4(4): 409 - 435. [Abstract] [PDF]

				F. Koster Globalization, Social Structure, and the Willingness to Help Others: a Multilevel Analysis Across 26 Countries Eur. Sociol. Rev., September 1, 2007; 23(4): 537 - 551. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Rostila Social capital and health in European welfare regimes: a multilevel approach Journal of European Social Policy, August 1, 2007; 17(3): 223 - 239. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. Evans and S. Syrett Generating Social Capital?: The Social Economy and Local Economic Development European Urban and Regional Studies, January 1, 2007; 14(1): 55 - 74. [Abstract] [PDF]

				W. van Oorschot Making the difference in social Europe: deservingness perceptions among citizens of European welfare states Journal of European Social Policy, February 1, 2006; 16(1): 23 - 42. [Abstract] [PDF]