Abstract
In the literature on a possible decline of participation levels, several factors are invoked as alleged causes for this trend. Most prominent among these are generational replacement, the spread of television, rising geographic mobility, increasing time pressure, marital instability, and the decline of religious affiliations. In Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam (Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, Simon and Schuster, New York, 2000) lends credibility to the claim that these factors are at least related to the decline of participation levels in the United States, and might even be regarded as an underlying cause. In this paper, the author assesses whether these variables also have a bearing on the participation level of the Belgian population. The analysis of a Belgian survey (N = 1341) shows that for most of the invoked causes, the relation is not significant, although the decline in religious affiliation does seem a likely candidate for further research. The paper closes with some suggestions for future research on civic engagement.
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Hooghe, M. Why Should We Be Bowling Alone? Results from a Belgian Survey on Civic Participation. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations 14, 41–59 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022940921725
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022940921725