Welfare States and Social Cohesion in Europe: Does Social Service Quality Matter?

Journal of Social Policy, 45(1): 119-140, 2016

30 Pages Posted: 5 Sep 2015 Last revised: 23 Mar 2018

See all articles by Rhys Andrews

Rhys Andrews

Cardiff University - Cardiff Business School

Sebastian Jilke

McCourt School of Public Policy; Georgetown University

Date Written: 2015

Abstract

In this article, the authors evaluate whether the provision of good quality social services has the potential to create social cohesion. In addition to examining the relationship between social services and social cohesion, the authors expand institutional theories of social capital by investigating whether this potential for building social solidarity may be resilient to the corrosive effects of economic strain. Multilevel analyses of variations in the perceptions of social cohesion amongst Europeans were conducted for 27 member countries of the EU using the Eurobarometer 74.1 on poverty and social exclusion from 2010. The results suggest that individuals receiving better quality social service provision perceived higher levels of social cohesion within the country in which they live. By contrast, individuals living in households experiencing economic strain perceive lower levels of cohesion. Further analysis revealed that the experience of economic strain does not weaken the positive relationship between social services quality and perceptions of cohesion.

Keywords: Social cohesion, social services, economic strain, welfare state, Europe

JEL Classification: I3

Suggested Citation

Andrews, Rhys and Jilke, Sebastian, Welfare States and Social Cohesion in Europe: Does Social Service Quality Matter? (2015). Journal of Social Policy, 45(1): 119-140, 2016, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2656590

Rhys Andrews

Cardiff University - Cardiff Business School ( email )

Aberconway Building
Colum Road
Cardiff, Wales CF10 3EU
United Kingdom
+44 (0)29 2087 6014 (Phone)
+44 (0)29 2087 6014 (Fax)

Sebastian Jilke (Contact Author)

McCourt School of Public Policy; Georgetown University ( email )

Washington, DC 20057
United States

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