Is Convergence a Myth? Migration, Social Inequality and the Strength of Europe’s Civil Societies

This paper investigates the trajectory of European civil societies. Using a new method for aggregating data on two key dimensions, voluntarism and trust, the study develops a dynamic map of civil society strength in Europe. The results challenge the view that welfare states freeze patterns of civic participation into predictable clusters, as both voluntarism and trust are shown to fluctuate considerably over time. Instead of uncovering a pattern of convergence, the evidence suggests instead a trend towards polarization of civil society strength across Europe. We argue that two key elements have affected European states unevenly account for this evolution: social inequality and rises in migrant population.