2014-01-17
Economic Strain and Perceptions of Social Cohesion in Europe: Does Institutional Trust Matter? (forthcoming)
Publication
Publication
European Journal of Political Research , Volume 2014
Abstract
The degree to which different social groups get along is a key indicator of the cohesiveness of
a society. This study examines perceptions of social cohesion amongst Europeans and
explains variations in those perceptions by considering the separate and combined effects of
economic strain and institutional trust. Analyses were conducted with the 27 member
countries of the EU based on the Eurobarometer 74.1 on poverty and social exclusion
conducted in 2010. Results show that individuals living in households experiencing economic
strain perceive social cohesion to be weaker than their less economically hard-pressed
counterparts. By contrast, individuals trusting their political institutions perceived there to be
higher levels of cohesion. Furthermore, institutional trust substantially moderates the negative
relationship between economic strain and perceptions of cohesion. These results are robust to
various model specifications. Moreover, extending the analysis revealed that this moderating
effect held when considering social relations between the poor and rich and between different
racial and ethnic groups. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.
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hdl.handle.net/1765/50346 | |
European Journal of Political Research | |
Organisation | Department of Public Administration |
Andrews, R., Jilke, S., & Van de Walle, S. (2014). Economic Strain and Perceptions of Social Cohesion in Europe: Does Institutional Trust Matter? (forthcoming). European Journal of Political Research, 2014. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1765/50346 |