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Social Capital and Religion in the United Kingdom

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Faith-Based Organizations and Social Welfare

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Religion, Politics, and Policy ((PSRPP))

Abstract

In the past few decades, social capital has become one of the most influential concepts in the social sciences, offering an explanatory framework for analyzing issues such as social cohesion, multiculturalism, trust, and political engagement. A central claim in the literature on this topic is that religion provides a key source of social capital. Notions of divine morality, a commitment to ethical codes of conduct, and an emphasis on community are said to promote pro-social behavior and to do so more effectively than non-religious motivations. This chapter examines the evidence on the link between social capital and religion in the United Kingdom. It begins by exploring some of the conceptual dimensions of social capital, considers the way in which the idea of a link has underpinned the government–faith-based organization relationship, and analyzes the extent to which the empirical evidence supports or challenges this assumption.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Justin Beaumont, “Faith Action on Urban Social Issues,” Urban Studies 45, no. 10 (2008): 2019–34.

  2. 2.

    For example, see, Peter Hall, “Social Capital in Britain,” British Journal of Politics 29, no. 3 (1999): 417–61; Performance and Innovation Unit [PIU], “Social Capital: A Discussion Paper,” Cabinet Office, London; Paul Weller, “Religions and Social Capital. Theses on Religion(S), State(S), and Society(ies): With Particular Reference to the United Kingdom and the European Union,” Journal of International Migration and Integration 6, no. 2 (2005): 271–89.

  3. 3.

    John Annette, “Faith Communities, Communitarianism, Social Capital and Youth Civic Engagement,” Ethnicities 11, no. 3 (2011): 383–97.

  4. 4.

    Rachel Wharton and Lucy de Las Casas, “What a Difference a Faith Makes: Insights on Faith Based Charities,” New Philanthropy Capital, London, 2016.

  5. 5.

    For overviews, see John Field, Social Capital (London, Routledge, 2003); and James Farr, “Social Capital: A Conceptual History,” Political Theory 32, no. 1 (2004): 6–33.

  6. 6.

    Robert Putnam, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (New York, Simon and Schuster, 2000), 19.

  7. 7.

    Field, Social Capital.

  8. 8.

    See Field, Social Capital; Robert Furbey, Adam Dinham, Richard Farnell, Doreen Finneron, and Guy Wilkinson, with Catherine Howarth, Dilwar Hussain, and Sharon Palmer, Faith as Social Capital: Connecting or Dividing? Joseph Rowntree Foundation (Bristol, UK: Policy Press, 2006); Chris Baker and Jonathan Miles-Watson, “Faith and Traditional Capitals: Defining the Public Scope of Spiritual and Religious Capital—A Literature Review,” Implicit Religion 13, no. 1 (2010): 17–69.

  9. 9.

    Greg Smith, “Does faith make you healthy and happy? The Case of Evangelical Christians in the UK,” Journal of Religion and Society 19 (2017): 1–15.

  10. 10.

    For example, Hall, “Social Capital”; Office for National Statistics, “Social Capital: A Review of the Literature,” ONS Social Analysis and Reporting Division, 2001; PIU, “Social Capital”; Baker and Miles-Watson, “Faith.”

  11. 11.

    See Baker and Miles-Watson, “Faith”; Wharton and de Las Casas, “What a Difference.”

  12. 12.

    Weller, “Religions and Social Capital.”

  13. 13.

    For example, Peer Scheepers, Manfred te Grotenhuis, and Jan Reitsma, “Dimensions of individual religiosity and charity: cross national effect differences in European countries?” Review of Religious Research 47, no. 4 (2006): 347–62.

  14. 14.

    For example, Robert Wuthnow, “Religious involvement and status-bridging social capital,” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 41, no. 4 (2002): 669–84.

  15. 15.

    Pui-Yan Lam, “As the Flocks Gather: How Religion Affects Voluntary Association Participation,” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 41, no. 3 (2002): 405–22.

  16. 16.

    See Stijn Ruiter and Nan Dirk de Graf, “National Context, Religiosity and Volunteering: Results from 53 Countries,” American Sociological Review 71 (2006): 191–210.

  17. 17.

    Penny Edgell Becker and Pawan Dhingra, “Religious Involvement and Volunteering: Implications for Civil Society,” Sociology of Religion 62, no. 3 (2001): 315–35; Ruiter and De Graf, National context; Patty Van Cappellen, Vassilis Saroglou, and Maria Toth-Gauthier, “Religiosity and Prosocial Behavior Among Churchgoers: Exploring Underlying Mechanisms,” International Journal for the Psychology of Religion 26, no. 1 (2016): 19–30.

  18. 18.

    See Anneli Kaasa, “Religion and Social Capital: Evidence from European Countries,” International Review of Sociology 23, no. 3 (2013): 578–96; Lam, As the flocks; Pui-Yan Lam, “Religion and Civic Culture: A Cross-National Study of Voluntary Association,” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 45, no. 2 (2006): 177–93; Ellen Dingemans and Erik Van Ingen, “Does Religion Breed Trust? A Cross-National Study of the Effects of Religious Involvement, Religious Faith, and Religious Context on Social Trust,” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 54, no. 2 (2015): 1–17.

  19. 19.

    Baker and Miles-Watson, “Faith and Traditional Capitals.”

  20. 20.

    For example, Tomas James Rees, “Is Personal Insecurity a Cause of Cross-National Differences in the Intensity of Religious Belief?” Journal of Religion and Society 11 (2009): 1–24.

  21. 21.

    For example, Phil Zuckerman, Society Without God: What the Least Religious Nations Can Tell Us About Contentment (New York: New York University Press, 2010).

  22. 22.

    See Cairns, Jared Kenworthy, Andrea Campbell, and Miles Hewstone, ed., “The Role of In-Group Identification, Religious Group Membership and Intergroup Conflict in Moderating In-Group and Out-Group Affect,” British Journal of Social Psychology 45, no. 4 (2006): 701–16; Ruud Koopmans, “Religious Fundamentalism and Hostility against Out-Groups: A Comparison of Muslims and Christians in Western Europe,” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 41, no. 1 (2015): 33–57.

  23. 23.

    Lam, “As the Flocks Gather.”

  24. 24.

    Luke Galen, “Does Religious Belief Promote Prosociality? A Critical Examination,” Psychological Bulletin 138, no. 5 (2012): 876–906; Jesse Lee Preston and Ryan Ritter, “Different Effects of Religion and God on Prosociality with the Ingroup and Outgroup,” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 39, no. 11 (2013): 1471–83; Van Cappellen et al., Religiosity.

  25. 25.

    İpek Göçmen, “The Role of Faith-Based Organizations in Social Welfare Systems: A Comparison of France, Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom,” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 42 (2013), no. 3: 495–516.

  26. 26.

    Veronique Jochum, Belinda Pratten, and Karl Wilding, eds., “Faith and Voluntary Action: An Overview of Current Evidence and Debates” (London: National Council for Voluntary Organisations, 2007); Department for Communities and Local Government, Face to Face and Side by Side: A Framework for Partnership in Our Multi Faith Society” (London, 2008); Annette, “Faith.”

  27. 27.

    Baker and Miles-Watson, “Faith and Traditional Capitals.”

  28. 28.

    Cited in Greg Smith, “Faith in Community and Communities of Faith? Government Rhetoric and Religious Identity in Urban Britain,” Journal of Contemporary Religion 19, no. 2 (2004): 185–204.

  29. 29.

    Tony Blair, Speech at Faithworks, March 22, 2005, http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20080909054223/http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page7375.

  30. 30.

    Cited in Smith, “Faith in Community.”

  31. 31.

    Home Office, “Working Together: Co-Operation Between Government and Faith Communities,” Faith Communities Unit, London, 2004; Chris Baker and Hannah Skinner, “Telling the Stories: How Churches Are Contributing to Social Capital,” (Manchester, UK: William Temple Foundation, 2005).

  32. 32.

    Smith, Faith.

  33. 33.

    Commission on Integration and Cohesion, “Our Shared Future,” Wetherby, 2007.

  34. 34.

    Angus McCabe, Heather Buckingham, and Steve Miller, with Marcianne Musabyimana, “Belief in Social Action: Exploring Faith Groups; Responses to Local Needs,” Third Sector Research Centre, Working Paper 137, 2016.

  35. 35.

    Eric Pickles, “Ministers Talk Big Society with Faith Leaders,” Communities and Local Government News, July 19, 2010.

  36. 36.

    Sayeeda Warsi, “Christianity and Public Life: A New Beginning for Relations Between Society, Faith, and the State,” Speech to the Bishops of the Church of England, September 15, 2010; on these points also see Steven Kettell, “Religion and the Big Society: a match made in heaven?,” Policy and Politics 40, no. 2 (2012): 281–96.

  37. 37.

    Wharton and de Las Casas, “What a Difference.”

  38. 38.

    Zoe Morris, Kath Maguire, and Jenny Kartupelis, “Faith in Action: A Report on Faith Communities and Social Capital in the East of England” (paper presented at the East of England Faith Leadership Conference, 2003).

  39. 39.

    Ben Cairns, Margaret Harris, and Romayne Hutchison, “Faithful Regeneration: The Role and Contribution of Local Parishes in Local Communities in the Diocese of Birmingham,” Centre for Voluntary Action Research, Aston Business School, 2004.

  40. 40.

    Baker and Skinner, “Telling the Stories.”

  41. 41.

    Commission on Urban Life and Faith, “Faithful Cities: A Call for Celebration, Vision and Justice” (London: Church House Publishing, 2006); on these points also see Furbey et al., Faith as Social Capital.

  42. 42.

    BBC, “Religion—Charitable Giving Survey,” 2004, http://www.secularism.org.uk/uploads/bbc-eligion-charitable-giving-march-2014-england-only.pdf.

  43. 43.

    Natalie Low, Sarah Butt, Angela Ellis Paine, and Justin Davis Smith, “Helping Out: A National Survey of Volunteering and Charitable Giving,” Office of the Third Sector, Cabinet Office, London, 2007, Table 3.4.

  44. 44.

    Low et al., “Helping out,” Table 11.6.

  45. 45.

    National Council for Voluntary Organisations [NCVO], UK Civil Society Almanac, 2017, https://data.ncvo.org.uk/.

  46. 46.

    James Noyes and Phillip Blond, “Holistic Mission: Social Action and the Church of England” (Lincoln, UK: ResPublica, 2013).

  47. 47.

    Noyes and Blond, “Holistic Mission,” Table 1.

  48. 48.

    John Mohan and Sarah L. Bulloch, “The Idea of a “Civic Core”: What Are the Overlaps Between Charitable Giving, Volunteering, and Civic Participation in England And Wales?” Third Sector Research Centre, Working Paper 73, 2012.

  49. 49.

    Wharton and de Las Casas, “What a Difference,” Table 1.

  50. 50.

    Andrew Haldane, “In Giving, How Much Do We Receive? The Social Value of Volunteering,” Speech to the Society of Business Economists, London, 2014, http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/publications/Documents/speeches/2014/speech756.pdf.

  51. 51.

    For example, Christopher J. Einolf, “The Link Between Religion and Helping Others: The Role of Values, Ideas and Language,” Sociology of Religion 72, no. 4 (2011): 435–55.

  52. 52.

    Humanists UK, “Religion, Belief and Volunteering,” 2010, https://humanism.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/1bha-briefing-volunteering-12-10-final.pdf.

  53. 53.

    Jochum et al., “Faith.”

  54. 54.

    NCVO, UK Civil Society.

  55. 55.

    Low et al., “Helping out,” Figure 13.1.

  56. 56.

    Department for Communities and Local Government (2011), Citizenship Survey, April 2010–March 2011, tables available from: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20120919165040/http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/citizenshipsurveyq4201011.

  57. 57.

    Mohan and Bulloch, “The Idea,” Table 1.

  58. 58.

    Cairns et al., “Faithful Regeneration.”

  59. 59.

    Jochum et al., “Faith.”

  60. 60.

    Charities Aid Foundation, “UK Giving 2017: An Overview of Charitable Giving in the UK” (Kent, UK: Charities Aid Foundation, 2017).

  61. 61.

    Charities Aid Foundation, “Britain’s Civic Core: Who Are the People Powering Britain’s Charities?” (Kent, UK: Charities Aid Foundation, 2013).

  62. 62.

    Noyes and Blond, “Holistic Mission,” Figure 5.

  63. 63.

    Ingrid Storm, “Civic Engagement in Britain: The Role of Religion and Inclusive Values,” European Sociological Review 31, no. 1 (2015): 14–29.

  64. 64.

    Priyya Lukka and Mike Locke, with Andri Soteri-Proctor, “Faith and Voluntary Action: Community, Values and Resources” (London: Institute for Volunteering Research, 2003).

  65. 65.

    Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, “Review of the Evidence Base on Faith Communities,” London, 2006.

  66. 66.

    Christians in Parliament and the Evangelical Alliance, “Faith in the Community: Strengthening Ties Between Faith Groups and Local Authorities,” 2013, http://www.eauk.org/current-affairs/publications/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageid=38452.

  67. 67.

    Noyes and Blond, “Holistic Mission,” Figure 3.

  68. 68.

    Wharton and de Las Casas, “What a Difference.”

  69. 69.

    British Social Attitudes, 34th Report, National Centre for Social Research, 2017.

  70. 70.

    Hall, “Social Capital”; for an overview, see Steve Bruce, “Post Secularity and Religion in Britain: An Empirical Assessment,” Journal of Contemporary Religion 28, no. 3 (2013): 369–84.

  71. 71.

    British Social Attitudes, 34th Report.

  72. 72.

    NCVO, UK Civil Society.

  73. 73.

    For example, Haldane, “In Giving.”

  74. 74.

    For example, Isabelle Stadelmann-Steffen, “Social Volunteering in Welfare States: Where Crowding Out Should Occur,” Political Studies 59, no. 1 (2013): 135–55.

  75. 75.

    Chris Naylor, Claire Mundle, Lisa Weaks, and David Buck, “Volunteering in Health and Care: Securing a Sustainable Future” (London: The King’s Fund, 2013).

  76. 76.

    Helen Bussell and Deborah Forbes, “Understanding the Volunteer Market: The What, Where, Who and Why of Volunteering,” International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing 7, no. 3 (2002): 244–57; 244.

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  1. University of Warwick, Coventry, UK

    Steven Kettell

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  1. Government, American University, Washington, DC, USA

    Paul Christopher Manuel

  2. Political Science, La Salle University, Philadelphia, DC, USA

    Miguel Glatzer

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Kettell, S. (2019). Social Capital and Religion in the United Kingdom. In: Manuel, P., Glatzer, M. (eds) Faith-Based Organizations and Social Welfare. Palgrave Studies in Religion, Politics, and Policy. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77297-4_8

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