Civil Society, Pillarization, and the Welfare State

Abstract

It is maintained that 1960s Dutch society was vertically structured yet lacked an authoritative state. Differences between horizontally & vertically structured societies are discussed. Pillarization of Dutch society during the late 19th & early 20th centuries & the initial effects of competing religious perspectives are examined. Rather than identify competing religious & ideological perspectives as responsible for continued pillarization of Dutch society, it is contended that material interests & struggles over power preserved vertical structure. Two factors contributing to the emergence of an authoritative Dutch state during the 1960s were (1) professionalization of health care & welfare & (2) increase in state subsidies. Nevertheless, political, economic, & social processes during the 1980s -- ie, deregulation or privatization of certain industries, urbanization, & state decentralization -- resulted in a more horizontal structure. The interaction between social, economic, & political capital in the Netherlands is considered. It is concluded that future civil society scholarship must develop a better understanding of the democratic triangle. J. W. Parker