Determinants of individual-level social capital: Culture and personal values

Abstract

The main aim of this multilevel analysis is to examine both personal values and cultural context as possible determinants of the individual-level social capital. The data pertaining to over 56,000 respondents from 85 regions are analysed with the help of multilevel regression analysis. The novelty of this article lies in incorporating a systematic approach covering many social capital dimensions, a multilevel analysis of the individual-level social capital including cultural context and also involving personal values as possible determinants of the individual-level social capital. The findings show that cultural context is important for individuals’ social capital and the results even imply that cultural context is more important in determining the level of individuals’ social capital than personal values. Some of the supposed impact of the communist past or the religious context on the level of social capital can be captured and explained by the cultural dimensions as well.