Religiosity and wellbeing in areas of socio-economic deprivation: The role of social capital and spiritual capital in enabling resources for subjective wellbeing

Abstract

Although religiosity and socio-economic status shape wellbeing, there are few analyses on wellbeing and religiosity in socio-economically deprived areas, despite decreases in wellbeing and increased deprivation in Europe since the 2008 financial crisis. This paper explores how resources for subjective wellbeing are enabled in deprived areas via religious participation, through a thematic analysis of ethnographic and participant observations and semi-structured interviews in two villages in County Durham, UK. The function of social and spiritual capital in transmitting resources for wellbeing is identified, and the theory of spiritual capital developed, in light of the analysis. Consequently, the need for qualitative investigations of wellbeing in deprived communities is highlighted.