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Social capital and political consumerism: a multilevel analysis

Neilson, Lisa Anne
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1156951934

Abstract Details

2006, Master of Arts, Ohio State University, Sociology.
For some consumers, political consumerism is a form of civic engagement. With both consumption behavior and civic engagement embedded in social relations, I propose that social capital is a predictor of the link between the two – political consumerism. I hypothesize that: 1) individuals with greater social capital are more likely to politically consume than those with less social capital, and 2) individuals in regions whose members are socially integrated and trusting of each other and their institutions are more likely to politically consume than individuals in regions with lower social capital. The underlying rationale is that numerous, positive social interactions provide motivation, information, and skills for influencing social change. Using data from the 2002/2003 European Social Survey, I test the effects of individual and regional characteristics on political consumerism using multilevel modeling. My final dataset represents 23,746 individuals nested in 209 within-country regions. I find support for my hypothesis that individuals with greater social capital are more likely to be political consumers than those with less social capital. Support for my second hypothesis is less clear, with two of the four region-level social capital variables showing a positive but possibly mediated effect on political consumerism, and the other two showing no effect. While individual-level effects are more important in predicting political consumerism, region-level effects are not inconsequential.
Pamela Paxton (Advisor)
Sociology, General
social capital; civic engagement; political consumerism; consumer sociology

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Neilson, L. A. (2006). Social capital and political consumerism: a multilevel analysis [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1156951934

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Neilson, Lisa. Social capital and political consumerism: a multilevel analysis. 2006. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1156951934.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Neilson, Lisa. "Social capital and political consumerism: a multilevel analysis." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1156951934

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1156951934
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© 2006, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.