Religion and the Civic Core in the Netherlands René Bekkers Center for Philanthropic Studies VU University Amsterdam December 8, UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital

Religious people do more of the total giving and volunteering in the United States, Canada, the Netherlands and Flanders. December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 2

Religion in the Netherlands December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 3

Giving in the Netherlands December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 4

Civic participation tends to be concentrated among a small group that does most of the giving and volunteering. Reed & Selbee (2001, NVSQ) call this group the ‘civic core’. December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 5

You can think of giving and volunteering as a natural phenomenon with a certain level of concentration. December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 6

Like firebugs. December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 7

Firebugs tend to cling together. In my own front garden I find them especially on dry and sunny places. Churches are like the sunny rocks in my garden – a fertile environment for donors and volunteers. December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 8

This is not what the bugs do. December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 9

They concentrate - December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 10

Into a core. December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 11

So, why? Why is religious affiliation and activity associated with giving and volunteering? What is it in religion that makes people care about society as a whole? December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 12

Popular dichotomies Conviction and community (Wuthnow, 1991) Intrinsic religious motivation (Cnaan et al., 1993) vs. associational ties (Jackson et al, 1995) Norms and networks (Ruiter & De Graaf, 2006) December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 13

Volunteering and Giving Volunteering and charitable giving are two types of contributions to society They are both indicators of social capital, governed by similar principles With Pamala Wiepking I recently summarized the literature on charitable giving in a review article for Voluntary Sector Review (November 2011 issue). December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 14

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In this formulation, religion is viewed as an external force that influences people. From religious communities, people ‘get’ their networks and convictions. Religious beliefs and prosocial values may vary from person to person. December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 16

So, why? Why is religious affiliation and activity associated with giving and volunteering? What is it in religion that makes people care about society as a whole? December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 17

So, why? Why is religious affiliation and activity associated with giving and volunteering? What is it in people that makes them care about religion and society as a whole? December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 18

A stone in the pond… Going back to the firebugs, I wonder why bugs like sunny rocks. Why do donors and volunteers love going to church? Church attendance involves exposure to requests for contributions. For those who dislike contributing and/or being asked to do so, the church is not a fun place to be. December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 19

Endogeneity Religion is increasingly a matter of choice. People with personalities and value systems that conflict with the church in which they were ‘born’ will leave. Social influence in religious communities is also to some extent the influence group members allow. December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 20

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Back on track: so what? This talk is mainly about how the concentration of giving and volunteering among religious groups in the Netherlands has changed over time. This is important because religion disappears from Dutch society. Will giving and volunteering decline along with secularization? December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 23

Not… …if those who are ‘left behind’ in churches become more active citizens.  this would lead to a higher level of concentration of giving and volunteering among the religious. …if another factor gains importance, such as education – but I am saving that for another occasion. December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 24

The data All the ‘Giving in the Netherlands’ survey data that we have gathered biennially since Total n=9,696. The data are treated as separate cross- sections and then pooled into one file. Amounts are adjusted for inflation. December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 25

Total giving by religion December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 26

Religious giving December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 27

Secular giving by religion December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 28

Top quintile, 2009 December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 29

Doing their share? December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 30

Growing inequality in secular giving over time December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 31

Volunteer hours top quintile December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 32

Increasing concentration December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 33 Proportion of volunteers by total giving quintile

Amounts donated by non- volunteers December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 34

Amounts donated by volunteers December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 35

Household giving: no-yes Catholic1.403***1.438*** Protestant1.757***1.751*** Survey wave1.116*** Catholic * wave1.038*** Protestant * wave0.985 Secondary education1.166***1.191*** Tertiary education1.618***1.673*** Secondary * wave0.915*** Tertiary * wave0.916*** Church attendance (4 categories)1.180***1.182*** Attendance * wave0.997 n9,696 December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 36 Odds ratios in logistic egression of household giving, also including age (model 1) and age * wave (model 2),

Amount donated in € Catholic-109***-111*** Protestant216***215*** Survey wave14*** Catholic * wave7*** Protestant * wave3 Secondary education51***71*** Tertiary education160***185*** Secondary * wave-17*** Tertiary * wave-21*** Church attendance (4 categories)125***124*** Attendance * wave2*** n7,857 December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 37 Odds ratios in logistic egression of household giving, also including age (model 1) and age * wave (model 2),

Volunteering: no-yes Catholic1.142**1.146** Protestant1.723***1.709*** Survey wave1.045*** Catholic * wave0.999 Protestant * wave1.025 Secondary education1.190***1.245*** Tertiary education1.613***1.695*** Secondary * wave0.958*** Tertiary * wave0.963*** Church attendance (4 categories)1.333***1.326*** Attendance * wave1.017*** n9,030 December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 38 Odds ratios in logistic egression of household giving, also including age (model 1) and age * wave (model 2),

Amount donated in € (logs, donors only) Catholic Protestant.841***.744***.688*** Survey wave.111***.106***.085*** Secondary education.707***.585***.554*** Tertiary education1.393***1.278***1.237*** Volunteering.389***.235***.159 Volunteering * wave.067***.059***.046*** Social responsibility.384***.357*** Altruistic values.628***.582*** Asked to volunteer.108*.058 Number of solicitations.214***.161*** Requests * wave.015* n5,983 December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 39 Odds ratios in OLS regressions of log of total amount donated, also including age, age * wave, education * wave, religion * wave

Secular amount donated in € (logs, donors only) Catholic ***-.296*** Protestant.283*** Survey wave-.026***.114***.085*** Secondary education ***.522*** Tertiary education.554***1.278***1.304*** Volunteering.375***.132 Volunteering * wave.054**.031 Social responsibility.357*** Altruistic values.643*** Asked to volunteer.057 Number of solicitations.165*** Requests * wave.018** n5,983 December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 40 Odds ratios in OLS regressions of log of total amount donated, also including age, age * wave, education * wave, religion * wave

Additional results Concentration of giving among the elderly is due to their stronger religiosity. No significant changes in relationships with hours volunteered among volunteers. No changes in relationships of prosocial values with giving. December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 41

Additional results Similar denominational differences in helping behavior as in volunteering. Helping is positively related to volunteering, both secular and religious. The relationship between secular volunteering and church attendance has become stronger over time. December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 42

Conclusions The civic core is increasingly religious. The civic core is becoming less highly educated. The civic core becomes increasingly concentrated: volunteering and giving increasingly go together. December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 43

Concentrating from December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 44

To this core. December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 45

A grim future? How can we create new forms of cohesion in society that bring people together? Creating opportunities to contribute time and money in groups with positive norms: sunny rocks December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 46

December 8, 2011 UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital 47 Something else -

Contact ‘Giving in the Netherlands’, Center for Philanthropic Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, VU University Amsterdam: René Bekkers, Blog: renebekkers.wordpress.comrenebekkers.wordpress.com December 8, UCSIA Workshop Volunteering, Religion, and Social Capital