The Social Norm to Work and the Well-Being of the Short- and Long-Term Unemployed

Karlijn L A Roex,Jesper J Rözer

doi:10.1007/s11205-017-1723-0

Abstract

Why are the unemployed particularly unhappy in some societies? According to the social norm theory of unemployment, the well-being of the non-employed is lower in countries with a strong social norm to work because of the greater stigma attached to unemployment. In this study, a social norm to work has been defined as the extent to which people expect others to work: do people think the unemployed should take any job they are offered, or should they have a right to refuse? The combined world and European values study and the European social survey were used to test the theory. Multilevel analyses show that—net of one’s own norm and other measures of the social norm to work, such as one’s personal work ethic—the well-being of unemployed men is lower in countries with a strong social norm to work, in particular that of the long-term unemployed. Overall, it appears that the social norm to work still weighs more heavily upon men than women.

Highlights

Why does the extent to which unemployment is detrimental to well-being differ so strongly across societies (e.g. Gallie and Russell 1998; Stavrova et al 2011; Whelan and McGinnity 2000)? According to the social norm theory of unemployment, these differences can beK
Why are the unemployed unhappy in some societies? According to the social norm theory of unemployment, the well-being of the non-employed is lower in countries with a strong social norm to work because of the greater stigma attached to unemployment
According to the social norm theory of unemployment, the well-being of the non-employed is lower in countries with a strong social norm to work because of the greater stigma attached to unemployment (Clark 2003; Oesch and Lipps 2013; Stam et al 2016; Stavrova et al 2011)

Summary

Introduction

Why does the extent to which unemployment is detrimental to well-being differ so strongly across societies (e.g. Gallie and Russell 1998; Stavrova et al 2011; Whelan and McGinnity 2000)? According to the social norm theory of unemployment, these differences can beK. Why does the extent to which unemployment is detrimental to well-being differ so strongly across societies According to the social norm theory of unemployment, these differences can be. J. Rozer attributed to a social norm that people should work, called ‘the social norm to work’. Rozer attributed to a social norm that people should work, called ‘the social norm to work’ The stronger this norm, the more the unemployed are disqualified and exposed to social and internal sanctions, and correspondingly the lower their well-being will be (Clark 2003; Stam et al 2016; Stavrova et al 2011). Empirical evidence for this claim is mixed, even between studies that use identical indicators (Clark 2003; Oesch and Lipps 2013; Stam et al 2016; Stavrova et al 2011)

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