“My experience in life is that you should be careful with most people and not trust them too much”
Social trust among recipients of voluntary welfare in Norway
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31265/jcsw.v4i1.44Keywords:
Recipients of voluntary welfare assistance, social trust, early life socialization, success and well-being, marginalised groupsAbstract
The significance of social capital, including social trust, has in recent decades been acknowledged by many scholars across different disciplines as a key resource. This has led to many studies and scientific articles investigating this topic. Few studies, however, have focused upon social trust within marginalised groups. This study is based upon data gathered from one of the larger research projects investigating the vulnerable recipients of voluntary welfare assistance in Norway. The aim of the study is to investigate the level of social trust in a sample of 80 recipients of welfare assistance within two large voluntary welfare organisations in the capital city of Oslo, Norway. In particular, the study will explore whether and to what degree the level of social trust can be explained by conditions experienced while growing up and as an adult. Results indicate that adult life experiences, such as drug abuse and life satisfaction are the most important explanatory variables. However problems experienced while growing-up seems to be indirectly related to social trust. The results of the study highlight the significance of acknowledging processes of marginalisation in socially vulnerable groups, such as drug users and children experiencing problems growing up.
References
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Diener, Ed, Richard E. Lucas & Shigehiro Oishi. “Subjective Well-Being: The Science of Happiness and Life Satisfaction” In Charles R. Snyder, & Shane J. Lopez , eds Handbook of Positive Psychology, Oxford University Press. New York. 2002, pp 63-73.
Erikson, Erik H., Joan M. Erikson & Helen Q Kivnick. Vital Involvement in Old Age. New York: W. W. Norton, 1986.
Esping-Andersen, Gösta. The three worlds of welfare capitalism. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1990.
European Social Survey. “Main Questionnaire”. Europeansocialsurvey.org. Web.9. August 2009. http://www.europeansocialsurvey.org /index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63&Itemid=98.
Field, Andy. Discovering statistics using SPSS: and sex, drugs and rock´n ´roll. ISM introducing statistical methods. 2nd ed. London: Sage, 2005.
Field, Dorothy. “Retrospective reports by healthy intelligent elderly people of personal events of their adult lives”. International Journal of Behavioural Development 4,1981: 77-97. Print.
Frelsesarmeen. ”Nøkkelfakta”. Frelsesarmeen.no. Web. 30. March 2009. http://www. frelsesarmeen.no/pages/side.aspx?nr=2218.
Halvorsen, Knut. “Legitimacy of welfare states in transitions from homogeneity to multiculturality: A matter of trust?” In Steffen Maus & Benjamin Veghte, eds Social Justice, Legitimacy and the Welfare State, Aldershot: Ashgate, 2007, pp. 239-259.
Hansen, Tore & Trond Tjerbo. Politisk engasjement, borgerrolle og sosial kapital. Unipubskriftserier, rapport nr. 62. Oslo: Makt- og demokratiutredningens rapportserie, 1998-2003, 2003.
”Individualisme, sosial kapital og politisk deltagelse”. Norsk statsvitenskapelig tidsskrift, No 1, 2005: 29 – 51. Print.
Helse- og omsorgsdepartementet. ”Rusmidler Norge”. Regjeringen.no.1 Aug. 2008. Web. 23 Sept. 2008. http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/hod/tema/rus/rusmidler-i-norge. html?id=439352.
Hyggen, Christer. “Risks and Resources: Social Capital among Social Assistance Recipients in Norway”. Social Policy & Administration 40, No. 5: 2006: 493-508. Print.
Kirkens Bymisjon. “The Church City Mission”. Bymisjon.no. Web. 30. March 2009. http:// www.bymisjon.no/templates/Page 10432.aspx.
Larring, Kari Bakke. Sosial kapital blant marginaliserte. En studie av brukere i Kirkens Bymisjon og Frelsesarmeen. Masteroppgave i sosialt arbeid. Oslo: Høgskolen i Oslo, 2008.
Levin, Irene. Hva er sosialt arbeid? Oslo: Universitetsforlaget, 2004.
Magaletta, Philip R. & J. M. Oliver. “The Hope Construct, Will and Ways: Their Relations with Self-Efficacy, Optimism, and General Well-Being”. Journal of Clinical Psychology, No 5, 1999: 539-551. Print.
Malmberg-Heimonen, Ira. ”Sosial tillit blant langtidsmottakere av sosialhjelp: betydningen av fattigdom og oppvekstvilkår”. In Ivan Harsløf & Sissel Seim, eds Fattigdommens dynamikk. Perspektiver på marginalisering i det norske samfunnet Oslo: Universitetsforlaget, 2008.
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Mishler, William & Richard Rose. “What are the origins of political trust? Testing Institutional and Cultural Theories in Post Communist Societies”. Comparative Political Studies 34, No. 1, 2001: 30-62. Print.
Oorschot, Wim van & Wil Arts. “The social capital of European welfare states: The crowding out hypothesis revisited”. Journal of European Social Policy 15, No. 1, 2005: 5-26. Print.
Pearlin, Leonard I. & Carmi Schooler. “The Structure of Coping”. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour 19, No. 1,1978: 2-21. Print.
Putnam, Robert. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000.
Ringdal, Kristen. Enhet og mangfold: samfunnsvitenskapelig forskning og kvantitativ metode. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget, 2001.
Rognerud, Marit, Bjørn Heine Strand, Øivind Hesselberg. The Health of Disadvantaged Groups in Norway. Norwegian Country report for the EU Project. Rapport nr 2. Oslo: Statens institutt for folkehelse, 2000.
Rothstein, Bo & Dietlind Stolle. Social Capital and Street-Level Bureaucracy: An Institutional Theory of Generalized Trust. Prepared for the ESF conference, Social Capital: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Exeter United Kingdom, September 15-20, 2001.
.”Introduction: Social capital in Scandinavia”. Scandinavian Political Studies 26, No 1. 2003: 1-26. Print.
Rustøen, Tone, Astrid K. Wahl, Berit R. Hanestad, Anners Lerdal, Christine Miaskowski &
Torbjørn Moum. “Hope in the general Norwegian population, measured using the Herth Hope Index”. Pallative and Supportive Care 1, 2003: 309-318.
Salomon, Lester & Helmut K. Anheier. ”Social Origins Civil Society: Explaining the Nonprofit Sector Cross-Nationally”. Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations 9, No. 3, 1998: 213-248. Print.
Saltkjel, Therese. Tillit og utsatthet. Sosial og institusjonell tillit og mistillit blant brukere av det frivillige velferdsapparatet. Masteroppgave i sosialt arbeid. Oslo: Høgskolen i Oslo, 2007.
Selle, Per. ”Forståinga av sivilsamfunnet. Er det berre opp til augo som ser?” Tidsskrift for samfunnsforskning No. 4, 2008: 613-624.
Slagsvold, Marit & Kjetil van der Wel. ”Sosial kapital”. In Kjetil van der Wel, eds, Sille Ohrem Naper, Marit Slagsvold, Borghild Løyland, Ivar Lødemel & Espen Dahl. Funksjonsevne blant langtidsmottakere av sosialhjelp, HiO-rapport nr 29. Oslo: Høgskolen i Oslo, 2006.
Snyder, Carles R. Kevin L. Rand & David R. Sigmon.”Hope Theory A Member of the Positive Psychology Family”. In Charles R. Snyder & Shane J. Lopez eds, Handbook of Positive Psychology. Oxford University Press. New York. 2002, pp.257-276.
Solem, Per Erik. Forskningsinstrumentene i NorLag. Oslo: NOVA, 2003.
Stjernø, Steinar & Therese Saltkjel. ”Gjennom det siste sikkerhetsnettet? En studie av Frelsesarmeens og Bymisjonens brukere”. In Ivan Harsløf & Sissel Seim eds,
Fattigdommens dynamikk. Perspektiver på marginalisering i det norske samfunnet. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget, 2008.
Stolle, Dietlind. “Getting to trust. Analysis of the importance of institutions, families, personal experiences and group memberships”. In Paul Dekker & Eric M. Uslaner, eds. Social capital and participation in everyday life. London: Routledge, pp. 119-133, 2001.
Sztompka, Piotr. Trust: A Sociological Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
Trägårdh, Lars. ”Det civila samhällets karriär som vetenskapelig och politiskt begrepp i Sverige”. Tidsskrift for samfunnsforskning, No.4, 2008: 576-591. Print.
Uslaner, Eric.The Moral Foundations of Trust. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
Veenhoven, Ruut. Happiness in nations: Subjective appreciation of life in 56 nations 1946- 1992. 1993. Rotterdam : Erasmus University.eur.nl. Web. 6. August 2009. http://www2.eur.nl/fsw/research/veenhoven/Pub1990s/93b-part1.pdf.
“The study of life satisfaction”. In William E. Saris, Ruut Veenhoven, Annette C. Scherpenzeel, & Brendan Bunting eds, A comparative study of satisfaction with life in Europe. Eötvös University Press, 1996, pp 11-46. eur.nl. Web 6. August 2009. http://www2.eur.nl/fsw/research/veenhoven/Pub1990s/96d-full.pdf
Wahl, Astrid Klopstad. ”Herths håpsindeks”. Tidsskrift for Norsk Psykologiforening No 3, 2007: 273-274. Print.
Wel, Kjetil van der, eds, Sille Ohrem Naper, Marit Slagsvold, Borghild Løyland, Ivar Lødemel & Espen Dahl. Funksjonsevne blant langtidsmottakere av sosialhjelp, HiO-rapport nr 29. Oslo: Høgskolen i Oslo, 2006.
Welch, Michael R, Roberto E. N. Riveria, Brian P. Conway, Jennifer Yonkoski, Paul M. Lupton & Russel Giancola. “Determinants and Consequences of Social Trust”. Sociological Inquiry 75, No. 4. 2005: 453-473. Print.
Aaslund, Håvard. Mestring og marginalisering. Opplevd kontroll og håp blant brukere av frivillige hjelpetiltak. Masteroppgave i sosialt arbeid. Oslo: Høgskolen i Oslo, 2008.
Carver, Charles S. & Michael. F. Scheier. “Optimism”. In Charles R. Snyder, ed. Coping: The psychology of what works, New York: Oxford University Press, 1999, pp 182-204.
Delhey, Jan & Kenneth Newton. ”Who trusts? The origins of social trust in seven countries”. European Societies 5, No. 2, 2003: 93-137. Print.
Diener, Ed, Richard E. Lucas & Shigehiro Oishi. “Subjective Well-Being: The Science of Happiness and Life Satisfaction” In Charles R. Snyder, & Shane J. Lopez , eds Handbook of Positive Psychology, Oxford University Press. New York. 2002, pp 63-73.
Erikson, Erik H., Joan M. Erikson & Helen Q Kivnick. Vital Involvement in Old Age. New York: W. W. Norton, 1986.
Esping-Andersen, Gösta. The three worlds of welfare capitalism. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1990.
European Social Survey. “Main Questionnaire”. Europeansocialsurvey.org. Web.9. August 2009. http://www.europeansocialsurvey.org /index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=63&Itemid=98.
Field, Andy. Discovering statistics using SPSS: and sex, drugs and rock´n ´roll. ISM introducing statistical methods. 2nd ed. London: Sage, 2005.
Field, Dorothy. “Retrospective reports by healthy intelligent elderly people of personal events of their adult lives”. International Journal of Behavioural Development 4,1981: 77-97. Print.
Frelsesarmeen. ”Nøkkelfakta”. Frelsesarmeen.no. Web. 30. March 2009. http://www. frelsesarmeen.no/pages/side.aspx?nr=2218.
Halvorsen, Knut. “Legitimacy of welfare states in transitions from homogeneity to multiculturality: A matter of trust?” In Steffen Maus & Benjamin Veghte, eds Social Justice, Legitimacy and the Welfare State, Aldershot: Ashgate, 2007, pp. 239-259.
Hansen, Tore & Trond Tjerbo. Politisk engasjement, borgerrolle og sosial kapital. Unipubskriftserier, rapport nr. 62. Oslo: Makt- og demokratiutredningens rapportserie, 1998-2003, 2003.
”Individualisme, sosial kapital og politisk deltagelse”. Norsk statsvitenskapelig tidsskrift, No 1, 2005: 29 – 51. Print.
Helse- og omsorgsdepartementet. ”Rusmidler Norge”. Regjeringen.no.1 Aug. 2008. Web. 23 Sept. 2008. http://www.regjeringen.no/nb/dep/hod/tema/rus/rusmidler-i-norge. html?id=439352.
Hyggen, Christer. “Risks and Resources: Social Capital among Social Assistance Recipients in Norway”. Social Policy & Administration 40, No. 5: 2006: 493-508. Print.
Kirkens Bymisjon. “The Church City Mission”. Bymisjon.no. Web. 30. March 2009. http:// www.bymisjon.no/templates/Page 10432.aspx.
Larring, Kari Bakke. Sosial kapital blant marginaliserte. En studie av brukere i Kirkens Bymisjon og Frelsesarmeen. Masteroppgave i sosialt arbeid. Oslo: Høgskolen i Oslo, 2008.
Levin, Irene. Hva er sosialt arbeid? Oslo: Universitetsforlaget, 2004.
Magaletta, Philip R. & J. M. Oliver. “The Hope Construct, Will and Ways: Their Relations with Self-Efficacy, Optimism, and General Well-Being”. Journal of Clinical Psychology, No 5, 1999: 539-551. Print.
Malmberg-Heimonen, Ira. ”Sosial tillit blant langtidsmottakere av sosialhjelp: betydningen av fattigdom og oppvekstvilkår”. In Ivan Harsløf & Sissel Seim, eds Fattigdommens dynamikk. Perspektiver på marginalisering i det norske samfunnet Oslo: Universitetsforlaget, 2008.
Ministry of Health and Care Services. “Norwegian National Action Plan on Alcohol and Drugs”. Regjeringen.no. Web. 30 March 2009. http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/hod/ documents/reports-and-plans/plans/2009/norwegian-national-action-plan-on-alcoho. html?id=549775.
Ministry of Health and Care Services. “Alcohol and drug addiction”. Regjeringen.no. Web.18 March 2009. http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/hod/Subjects/alcohol-and-drug-addiction. html?id=1130.
Mishler, William & Richard Rose. “What are the origins of political trust? Testing Institutional and Cultural Theories in Post Communist Societies”. Comparative Political Studies 34, No. 1, 2001: 30-62. Print.
Oorschot, Wim van & Wil Arts. “The social capital of European welfare states: The crowding out hypothesis revisited”. Journal of European Social Policy 15, No. 1, 2005: 5-26. Print.
Pearlin, Leonard I. & Carmi Schooler. “The Structure of Coping”. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour 19, No. 1,1978: 2-21. Print.
Putnam, Robert. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000.
Ringdal, Kristen. Enhet og mangfold: samfunnsvitenskapelig forskning og kvantitativ metode. Bergen: Fagbokforlaget, 2001.
Rognerud, Marit, Bjørn Heine Strand, Øivind Hesselberg. The Health of Disadvantaged Groups in Norway. Norwegian Country report for the EU Project. Rapport nr 2. Oslo: Statens institutt for folkehelse, 2000.
Rothstein, Bo & Dietlind Stolle. Social Capital and Street-Level Bureaucracy: An Institutional Theory of Generalized Trust. Prepared for the ESF conference, Social Capital: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Exeter United Kingdom, September 15-20, 2001.
.”Introduction: Social capital in Scandinavia”. Scandinavian Political Studies 26, No 1. 2003: 1-26. Print.
Rustøen, Tone, Astrid K. Wahl, Berit R. Hanestad, Anners Lerdal, Christine Miaskowski &
Torbjørn Moum. “Hope in the general Norwegian population, measured using the Herth Hope Index”. Pallative and Supportive Care 1, 2003: 309-318.
Salomon, Lester & Helmut K. Anheier. ”Social Origins Civil Society: Explaining the Nonprofit Sector Cross-Nationally”. Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations 9, No. 3, 1998: 213-248. Print.
Saltkjel, Therese. Tillit og utsatthet. Sosial og institusjonell tillit og mistillit blant brukere av det frivillige velferdsapparatet. Masteroppgave i sosialt arbeid. Oslo: Høgskolen i Oslo, 2007.
Selle, Per. ”Forståinga av sivilsamfunnet. Er det berre opp til augo som ser?” Tidsskrift for samfunnsforskning No. 4, 2008: 613-624.
Slagsvold, Marit & Kjetil van der Wel. ”Sosial kapital”. In Kjetil van der Wel, eds, Sille Ohrem Naper, Marit Slagsvold, Borghild Løyland, Ivar Lødemel & Espen Dahl. Funksjonsevne blant langtidsmottakere av sosialhjelp, HiO-rapport nr 29. Oslo: Høgskolen i Oslo, 2006.
Snyder, Carles R. Kevin L. Rand & David R. Sigmon.”Hope Theory A Member of the Positive Psychology Family”. In Charles R. Snyder & Shane J. Lopez eds, Handbook of Positive Psychology. Oxford University Press. New York. 2002, pp.257-276.
Solem, Per Erik. Forskningsinstrumentene i NorLag. Oslo: NOVA, 2003.
Stjernø, Steinar & Therese Saltkjel. ”Gjennom det siste sikkerhetsnettet? En studie av Frelsesarmeens og Bymisjonens brukere”. In Ivan Harsløf & Sissel Seim eds,
Fattigdommens dynamikk. Perspektiver på marginalisering i det norske samfunnet. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget, 2008.
Stolle, Dietlind. “Getting to trust. Analysis of the importance of institutions, families, personal experiences and group memberships”. In Paul Dekker & Eric M. Uslaner, eds. Social capital and participation in everyday life. London: Routledge, pp. 119-133, 2001.
Sztompka, Piotr. Trust: A Sociological Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
Trägårdh, Lars. ”Det civila samhällets karriär som vetenskapelig och politiskt begrepp i Sverige”. Tidsskrift for samfunnsforskning, No.4, 2008: 576-591. Print.
Uslaner, Eric.The Moral Foundations of Trust. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
Veenhoven, Ruut. Happiness in nations: Subjective appreciation of life in 56 nations 1946- 1992. 1993. Rotterdam : Erasmus University.eur.nl. Web. 6. August 2009. http://www2.eur.nl/fsw/research/veenhoven/Pub1990s/93b-part1.pdf.
“The study of life satisfaction”. In William E. Saris, Ruut Veenhoven, Annette C. Scherpenzeel, & Brendan Bunting eds, A comparative study of satisfaction with life in Europe. Eötvös University Press, 1996, pp 11-46. eur.nl. Web 6. August 2009. http://www2.eur.nl/fsw/research/veenhoven/Pub1990s/96d-full.pdf
Wahl, Astrid Klopstad. ”Herths håpsindeks”. Tidsskrift for Norsk Psykologiforening No 3, 2007: 273-274. Print.
Wel, Kjetil van der, eds, Sille Ohrem Naper, Marit Slagsvold, Borghild Løyland, Ivar Lødemel & Espen Dahl. Funksjonsevne blant langtidsmottakere av sosialhjelp, HiO-rapport nr 29. Oslo: Høgskolen i Oslo, 2006.
Welch, Michael R, Roberto E. N. Riveria, Brian P. Conway, Jennifer Yonkoski, Paul M. Lupton & Russel Giancola. “Determinants and Consequences of Social Trust”. Sociological Inquiry 75, No. 4. 2005: 453-473. Print.
Aaslund, Håvard. Mestring og marginalisering. Opplevd kontroll og håp blant brukere av frivillige hjelpetiltak. Masteroppgave i sosialt arbeid. Oslo: Høgskolen i Oslo, 2008.
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Published
2008-04-01
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Saltkjel, T. (2008). “My experience in life is that you should be careful with most people and not trust them too much”: Social trust among recipients of voluntary welfare in Norway. Journal of Comparative Social Work, 4(1), 38–55. https://doi.org/10.31265/jcsw.v4i1.44
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