Abstract
The relationship between an expanding welfare state and its citizens’ participation in voluntary organizations, including the churches, can be interpreted in different ways. Some assume a negative relationship, so that the expanding welfare state generates civil privatism or narcissism, and individuals become increasingly removed from the public sphere and from voluntary organizations. Others depict the welfare state as encouraging participation in voluntary organizations. Since voluntary associations are considered necessary channels for the implementation of state policies, the welfare state is expected to promote strong and active voluntary organizations; others have linked the welfare state’s expansion to the rise of new social movements. These movements, especially feminism, and the ecological and peace movements, are assumed to emerge in response to an unprecedented state penetration into many spheres of private life (for a review with special regard for religious organizations, see Wuthnow & Nass, 1988).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Bayelec, O. & SidenapTidskrift for samfunnsforskning K. (1983) Happiness and Humour: An analysis approach.Unpublished paper, C.I.S.R. Conference, London.
Blom, S. & Listhaug, O. (1988). Familie og livskvalitet. Tidskrift for samfunnsforskning (Family and quality of life). 29, 291f.
Bradburn, N. (1969). The structure of psychological well-being Chicago: Aldine. Cambell, A., Converse, P., & Rodgers, W. (1976). The quality of American lifeNew York: Russell Sage Foundation.
Engberg, J. (1986). Folkrrelserna i vlfrdssamhllet(Social movements in welfare society). Dissertation, University of Ume, Sweden.
Flanagan, S. (1982). Changing values in advanced industrialized countries. Comparative Political Studies, 74 (4).
Gustafsson, G. (1987). Religious change in the five Scandinavian countries,1930–1980. Comparative Social Research, 10. Harding, S., Phillips, D., & Fogarty, M. (1986). Contrasting values in Western Europe: Unity, diversity and change. London: Macmillan.
Inglehart, R. (1977) The silent revolution: Changing values and political styles.Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Inglehart, R. (1981). Post-materialism in an environment of insecurity. American Political Science Review, 75 (4), 880 – 900.
Inglehart, R. (1982). Changing values in Japan and the West. Comparative Political Studies, 14(A), 445f.
Inglehart, R. (1984). Generational politics and cultural change. Paper presented at the Conference on Changing Political Culture of Youth in Western Democracies. Lake Como, Italy.
Inglehart, R. (1985). Aggregate stability and individual-level flux in mass belief systems. The American Political Science Review, 79(1), 97f.
Inkeles, A. & Diamond, L. (1980). Personal development and national development. In A. Szalai & F. Andrews (Eds.), The quality of life: Comparative studies. London: Sage Publications.
Joreskog, K.-G. & Sörbom, D. (1986) Lisrel VI: Analysis of linear structural relationships by maximum likelihood instrumental variables and least square methods. Uppsala: Department of Statistics, University of Uppsala.
Listhaug, O. (1983). Norske verdier i et komparativt perspektiv(Norwegian values in a comparative perspective). (ISS-rapport nr. 12). Trondheim, Norway: Institutt for sociologi og samfunnsvitenskap, Universitetet i Trondheim.
Long, J.S. (1983) Covariance structure models. An introduction to LISREL. London: Sage Publications
Spilka, B., Hood, R.W., Jr., & Gorsuch, R.L. (1985). The psychology of religion: An empirical approach. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Veenhoven, R. (1984). Conditions of happiness. Dordrecht, Holland: Kluwer Boston Academic Publishers.
Wuthnow, R. & Nass, C. (1988). Government activity and civil privatism. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 27(2), 157 – 174.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1994 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Pettersson, T. (1994). Welfare Policies, Religious Commitment, and Happiness. In: Brown, L.B. (eds) Religion, Personality, and Mental Health. Recent Research in Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2696-3_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2696-3_14
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-7631-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-2696-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive