97 research outputs found
The Distribution of Skills Among the European Adult Population and Unemployment: A Comparative Approach
Physiological Correlates of Volunteering
We review research on physiological correlates of volunteering, a neglected but promising research field. Some of these correlates seem to be causal factors influencing volunteering. Volunteers tend to have better physical health, both self-reported and expert-assessed, better mental health, and perform better on cognitive tasks. Research thus far has rarely examined neurological, neurochemical, hormonal, and genetic correlates of volunteering to any significant extent, especially controlling for other factors as potential confounds. Evolutionary theory and behavioral genetic research suggest the importance of such physiological factors in humans. Basically, many aspects of social relationships and social activities have effects on health (e.g., Newman and Roberts 2013; Uchino 2004), as the widely used biopsychosocial (BPS) model suggests (Institute of Medicine 2001). Studies of formal volunteering (FV), charitable giving, and altruistic behavior suggest that physiological characteristics are related to volunteering, including specific genes (such as oxytocin receptor [OXTR] genes, Arginine vasopressin receptor [AVPR] genes, dopamine D4 receptor [DRD4] genes, and 5-HTTLPR). We recommend that future research on physiological factors be extended to non-Western populations, focusing specifically on volunteering, and differentiating between different forms and types of volunteering and civic participation
Schools or Pools of Democracy? A Longitudinal Test of the Relation Between Civic Participation and Political Socialization
Financiële spanning en informeel sociaal isolement: De rol van macro-economische omstandigheden en sociale zekerheidsuitgaven in 32 Europese landen in het decennium na de eeuwwisseling
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121113.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)This study examines to what extent financial strain, that is, difficulties to cope on one's income, is related to informal social isolation, that is, lacking social contacts with friend, relatives and colleagues. We consider to what extent macro-economic conditions and social protection expenditure affect informal social isolation as well as the relationship between financial strain and informal social isolation. Moreover, we study to what extent the effect of social protection expenditure on informal social isolation is weaker or stronger under varying macro-economic conditions. We perform multilevel analyses, taking advantage of data derived from the European Social Survey (2002-2010). Our findings show that experiencing financial strain induces social isolation. In economically less developed countries, informal social isolation is higher; in nations with high levels of social security expenditure, it is lower. Finally, particularly financially strained people suffer in terms of informal social isolation when macro-economic conditions are disadvantageous and welfare state expenditure is low.22 p
The crowding in hypothesis revisited: New insights into the impact of social protection expenditure on informal social capital
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185014.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)This study revisits the crowding in hypothesis and contributes to the literature in two ways. First, in addition to total social spending, we examine whether different types of social spending increase social capital among their target groups. Second, we distinguish within- from between-country effects of social spending. Data from the European Social Survey are analysed with logistic multilevel regression models. We analyse two indicators of informal social capital: having social contact with friends, family or work colleagues and having anyone to discuss intimate and personal matters with. The results show that the more governments spend on social protection, the more likely people within those countries are to have social and intimate contact. The results also demonstrate that within-country effects of the types of social spending on having social contact disappear once we control for unobserved heterogeneity between countries. Yet, within countries with higher social spending on sickness/health care, old age and social exclusion, we find that these specific expenditures facilitate intimate contact among people in bad health, retirees and people who are having difficulties living on their present income, respectively. Overall, the crowding in hypothesis is supported. We conclude that it is important to examine the types of social spending and to distinguish within- and between-country effects.24 p
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