Suchergebnisse

Arguing that social capital is embedded in social context, explored are specific societal interaction settings to shed light on social capital generation & social capital's interrelatedness with political & social institutions. Focus is on two very distinct localities in the Netherlands, & Robert Putnam's approach to social capital underpins the analysis of a wide range of indicators. Drawing on 1996/97 survey data from 273 respondents in neighborhoods of Asten & Dordrecht & other sources of information, local patterns & levels of social capital, the impact of individual differences on local social capital, & the contextual & cultural correlates of differences in local social capital are examined. Findings reveal the existence of generalized social capital among the better off & a degree of network capital among the less well off who depend on their neighborhood. 2 Tables, 16 References. J. Zendejas

Arguing that social capital is embedded in social context, explored are specific societal interaction settings to shed light on social capital generation & social capital's interrelatedness with political & social institutions. Focus is on two very distinct localities in the Netherlands, & Robert Putnam's approach to social capital underpins the analysis of a wide range of indicators. Drawing on 1996/97 survey data from 273 respondents in neighborhoods of Asten & Dordrecht & other sources of information, local patterns & levels of social capital, the impact of individual differences on local social capital, & the contextual & cultural correlates of differences in local social capital are examined. Findings reveal the existence of generalized social capital among the better off & a degree of network capital among the less well off who depend on their neighborhood. 2 Tables, 16 References. J. Zendejas

In the past three decades a profound secularization process has taken place in the Netherlands. This article assesses the impact of church affiliation and church participation on membership of voluntary associations and volunteering in this country. Using three national surveys (the Time budget study of 1995, the God in the Netherlands study of 1996/97 and several recent editions of the Cultural Change surveys of the SCP), first the differences between religious groups (non-church affiliated, members of the main Dutch denominations, nominal members and church going members) are explored. Next, the effect of church participation, as compared with the effects of other dimensions of religiosity, sex, age and education, is analysed. Some indicators of time-pressure and the average hours of television watching are analysed to test the separate effect of church participation. Finally, a social profile is given of groups in Dutch 'society who have a typically low, moderate of high level of volunteers. The authors conclude that the traditional role of church participation as a stimulus for social participation and social engagement is not a historical relict, and that the intensity of church participation is the factor with the strongest influence on especially volunteering.

Public involvement in politics and society are debated in a sombre mood these days. In recent American literature the decline of involvement is associated with a decline in social and institutional trust. After a brief review of this and older literature about possible connections, data from the Dutch national electoral studies 1972- 1998 are analysed to unveil trends in social and political participation and trust trends, and to explore their relatedness. There has been a decline in party politics in the Netherlands, a strong increase in 'unconventional' politics, an increase in social participation, an increase in social trust, and no clear trend in political trust. Social trust appears to be positively related with trust in parliament and in public Information. Social participation turns out to be linked with political participation, but it shows hardly any relationship with social trust. More detailed analyses of the 1998 data confirm the irrelevance of organised social interaction for trust: neither membership of 'secondary' organisations (opposed to 'tertiary' mailing list organisations) nor activity as a member has a consistent positive effect on trust. The participation-trust junction seems to be easily exaggerated in the present debate about 'social capita!1. The possibility of a dissociation between (steady) voluntary social involvement and (declining) participation in democratic political institutions, is a topic that deserves more interest.