Multidimensional Civic Engagement in Later Life in 32 European Countries-an Exploration of the Roles of Socio-Structural Resources and Welfare State Commitment.

Abstract

This study examines individual socio-structural resources and country-level welfare state commitment in relation to four different aspects of civic engagement in later life. Multilevel logistic regression was used to analyze data from the European Quality of Life Survey (EQLS) collected from people aged 65 and over in 32 European countries during 2016-2017 (n = 9265). On the individual level, socio-structural resources in terms of educational level, income, and self-rated health were positively related to formal volunteering, political participation, and associational participation. However, socio-structural resources seemed to be less important to informal caregiving. On the country-level, strong welfare state commitment, as measured by social expenditure, was positively associated with all four aspects of civic engagement. Cross-level interactions between socio-structural resources and welfare state commitment were statistically significant in part. The present study strengthens the view of civic engagement in later life as a multidimensional concept that is shaped by individual and contextual factors.