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Declining social capital in the Declining social capital in the Netherlands and beyond?Netherlands and beyond?

Hans Schmeets

Statistics Netherlands / Maastricht University

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Overview

- Social capital in The Netherlands and Europe

- Trends in social capital

- Social capital and Well-being

Social Trust (trust in others) by country, 2010

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Source: CBS/ESS

Trust and Participation in 17 European countries

The Netherlands: high trust - Trust in other people: 5th- Trust in national parliament: 5th- Trust in politicians: 1st

And also high in participation:- Social contacts: 3th- Volunteering: 1st- Political participation: 5th

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Trust in national parliament by country, 2010

Source: CBS/ESS

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Trust in politicians by country, 2010

Source: CBS/ESS

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From High Trust into Low Trust?

“In just a few years the Netherlands slipped from a high trust society to a low trust society.(…) Politicians fuel the dissatisfaction amongst the population.”(Fukuyama, 2010)

Decline in social capital in NL?

NO! Aspects of social capital are stable or even increasing:

- Social trust: increase- Institutional and political trust: increase

- Contacts with friends and family: increase- Contacts with neighbours: stable- Providing informal help: stable- Volunteer work: stable/increasing- Political actions: stable- Turnout: stable

…..Examples…

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Social and institutional trust (NL)

30

40

50

60

70

80

2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

Politicians Judges Police Social trust

%

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1997 2009

Relatives 82% 86%

Friends 77% 80%

Neighbours 67% 66%

Social contacts: weekly

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Informal help: past month

1997 2009

Informal help (general)

31% 30%

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Volunteering, 1997-2009

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Past 12 months 'at present'

Trends in Voter Turnout, 1989-2011

• 1989 - 2011 : stable

• Parliamentary• Regional• Municipal• European

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Turnout Elections, 1989-2011

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

%

Parliamentary Regional European Municipal

Political participation and Proxy Voting, 2006-2010

75.4%80.4%TurnoutParliamentary

Elections

37%36%Politicalactions

8%12%Proxy voting

20102006

75.4%80.4%TurnoutParliamentary

Elections

37%36%Politicalactions

8%12%Proxy voting

20102006

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Large differences between subpopulations

- Religion: - Higher scores among protestants, lower

among Muslims

- Education: - Higher scores among higher educated

- Country of origin - Native population higher, non-western

immigrants lower

example

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0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Contactfamily

Volunteering Voterturnout

Social trust Trustparliament

primary school lower vocational

medium secondary higher secundary

university

Aspects of social capital by education

Weekly contacts with relatives, friends or neighbours, selected countries

Presentation title 18

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Meer happiness among people with :

• More social contacts• Higher turnout

• Trust in other people• Trust in institutions• Trust in politics

Trend in well-being, 1997-2009 (NL)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Happy Very happy

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

5 to 8 4 to 5 3 to 4 2 to 3 1 to 2 < 1 < 1 1 to 2 2 to 3 3 to 4 4 to 5 5 to 8

% Happy persons

Married

Divorced

Widowed

No change

A change in marital status and Subjective Well-being

Years before life-event Years after life-event

Life event

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• Thank You !