Making democracy work?: civic culture, social capital and voluntary associations in New Zealand

Abstract

This thesis draws a distinction between social capital's 'public' and 'private' forms, arguing that the former is a concept relating primarily to political culture. Using data drawn from two major New Zealand surveys, the study investigates the neo-Tocquevillian proposition that voluntary associations play an important part in making democracy work, by installing in their members the orientations and capacities congruent with a civic culture. The study also explores alternative theories, in particular Ronald Inglehart's theory of postmaterialism. Overall, the emphasis placed by neo-Tocquevillians on voluntary associations' internal effects finds mixed support in the New Zealand data. While voluntary associations do seem to play a role in installing political competence, their usefulness as agents of democratic socialisation is limited, or even nonexistent.