This latest European Social Survey (ESS) webinar will feature presentations from researchers who have conducted analysis of data collected over the first 20 years of the project (2002-22).
Presentations will focus on substantive analysis of ESS data measuring institutional trust, happiness and life satisfaction, employment and innovation, and trust as a catalyst for economic growth.
Riccardo Di Leo (Carlos III Juan March Institute) will introduce research that assessed ESS data (2002-19) on institutional trust in the context of military service.
Di Leo will provide evidence to suggest that reintroducing compulsory military service may not produce the effects anticipated by its advocates.
Radka Hanzlová (Czech Academy of Sciences) will present analyses of two items included in every round of the ESS measuring levels of happiness and life satisfaction amongst respondents.
The presentation will assess how these measures vary over time (2002-22), across countries and in terms of characteristics such as gender, age, income, health and marital status.
Gilad Be'ery (Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry) will deliver a presentation on the differences between industries and social groups when it comes to innovation.
The research draws on ESS data collected in rounds 6-9 (2012-19) and will include a systematic analysis that assesses to what extent different groups of employees’ value innovation.
Jonathan Muringani (University of Oslo) will discuss how trust in institutions can be a catalyst for regional growth in Europe.
The panel regression analysis of 208 regions - using data from the first eight rounds of the ESS (2002-17) - shows that institutions matter for economic growth, both individually and in combination.
The event will be chaired by the ESS Deputy Director, Dr. Eric Harrison (City, University of London). An open Q&A will follow the presentations.
ESS HQ is based at City, University of London.
1.05-1.25pm: Military culture and institutional trust: Evidence from conscription reforms in Europe
Does military conscription reduce the distance between the ordinary citizen and the state?
Decades after its abolition, numerous European policy makers from across the political spectrum advocate the reintroduction of conscription to foster civic virtues.
Leveraging quasi-random variation in conscription reforms across 15 European countries, this research examines institutional trust amongst cohorts of men drafted before the abolition of conscription and those who were just exempted.
Results are neither driven by more favourable attitudes toward the government, nor by educational choices. Instead, this civil-military gap unfolds through the formation of a homogeneous community with uniform values.
The research - undertaken with Vincenzo Bove (University of Warwick) and Marco Giani (King's College London) - finds that reintroducing a compulsory military service may not produce the effects anticipated by its advocates.
About the speaker
Riccardo Di Leo is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Political Science at the Carlos III Juan March Institute. His research focuses on the study of public opinion, with applications to the civil-military gap, terrorism in Western countries, and the legacy of historical events.
1.25-1.45pm: Measuring happiness and life satisfaction
This presentation will draw on two items included in every round of the ESS measuring the happiness and life satisfaction of respondents.
These single-item questions on happiness and life satisfaction are often used as measures of wellbeing, even though the two measures are only sub-components of wellbeing.
Radka Hanzlová (Czech Academy of Sciences) will focus on how levels of happiness and life satisfaction vary across counties and in terms of different characteristics such as gender, age, education, income, health, or marital status.
The analysis will also cover the happiness and life satisfaction levels of respondents in participating countries over time: during the first ten rounds of the ESS (2002-22).
About the speaker
Radka Hanzlová is part of the Institute of Sociology at the Czech Academy of Sciences. Hanzlová’s research focuses on social survey research methodology, data quality, measurement invariance, scale development and questionnaire design. Substantive research interests include wellbeing, happiness, life satisfaction, mental health, personality, human values, goals and motivations.
1.45-2.05pm: Who values innovation? Differences between industries and social groups in Europe and Israel
In the policy discourse of developed countries, the importance of innovation is getting more attention, specially on gaps in the value of innovation between industries and populations, which tend to result in inequality in economic outcomes.
This study presents a systematic analysis of a relatively understudied variable in this regard: to what extent different groups of employees differ on how much they value innovation.
Through analysis of data collected in rounds 6-9 (2012-19), the presentation will explore how much employees value innovation in Europe and Israel.
Potential implications for innovation and labour market policy will also be discussed.
About the speaker
Gilad Be'ery is the Director of Research at the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry in the Strategy and Policy Planning Department. He is also a PhD candidate at the Federmann School of Public Policy and Governance (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), focusing on the values and policy attitudes of high-tech employees.
Be'ery has long-standing experience in economic and social analysis in government, academia and think tanks. He holds a BA in Philosophy, Political Science and Economics (PPE) and an MA in Public Policy, both from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
2.05-2.25pm: Trust as a catalyst for regional growth in Europe
Empirical studies examining the interplay between informal and formal institutions on economic growth are scarce.
As a result, we do not know how differences in trust affect the economic returns of the quality of regional governments and their autonomy.
A panel regression analysis of 208 regions in 21 European Union countries shows that informal and formal institutions matter for economic growth, individually and in combination.
More specifically, trust - as measured during the first eight rounds of the ESS (2002-17) - substitutes the quality of regional government but does not affect the economic impact of its degree of decentralisation.
Therefore, policymakers need to think creatively about harnessing institutions to promote economic growth.
About the speaker
Jonathan Muringani is an interdisciplinary scholar and Post-Doctoral Researcher working on human-centric digitalisation. Muringani is part of the Pri-TEM project on societal trust, digital trust and privacy at the University of Oslo, Norway.
Muringani’s PhD thesis is on Institutions and Regional development, and draws from innovation studies, economic geography and political science. He was jointly awarded the Regional Studies Association Inaugural Paul Benneworth PhD student award (2021).
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