RT info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis
T1 El papel del capital social en el estudio de la calidad de vida: un análisis multinivel de los determinantes del bienestar subjetivo y la salud autopercibida en Europa
A1 Gómez Balcacer, Lucía
A2 Universidad de Valladolid. Escuela de Doctorado
K1 Capital Social
K1 Social capital
K1 Capital social
K1 Subjective well-being
K1 Bienestar subjetivo
K1 Europe
K1 Europa
K1 COVID-19
K1 COVID-19
K1 5308 Economía General
AB This thesis focuses on exploring the social and economic determinants of subjective well-being in Europe, paying special attention to the different dimensions of social capital. With this objective in mind, the first chapter explores the central concepts of the research, subjective well-being and social capital, as well as the links and theoretical foundations that connect both terms. The second chapter then focuses on the main methodologies employed in the empirical chapters, detailing the approaches, techniques and criteria used throughout this research. The empirical chapters analyze the relationship between subjective well-being and social capital, paying special attention to its different dimensions or levels, through the application of multivariate and econometric analysis techniques. The different chapters that make up this part of the thesis address this relationship at different points in time around the pandemic -before, during and after- and consider different aspects that make up social capital.Among the most outstanding results obtained is that the research carried out allows us to break down social capital into five dimensions, related to institutional trust, social trust, social ties and associationism, civility and sense of belonging, and religion, facilitating a more structured understanding of its nature and its impact on subjective wellbeing. The findings obtained reveal a positive and robust relationship between happiness and the five aspects that make up social capital. In addition, it was possible to verify the existence of great heterogeneity in the importance of the dimensions that make up social capital across the European continent. Understanding these differences in the configuration of social capital in Europe is essential for the design of specific interventions aimed at strengthening the well-being of the population.Another finding highlights the strong impact of social capital on subjective well-being during the pandemic as a mechanism to mitigate the devastating consequences of the pandemic. With regard to social capital at the macro level, it was found that, in order to strengthen institutional trust, it was essential for the States to strengthen trust in the police and in the health system. In addition, among the variables incorporated into the model to measure social capital at the micro level, the strong negative impact of loneliness on life satisfaction and self-perceived health stood out. In order to further explore this finding, the next chapter focused on exploring the relationship between loneliness and subjective well-being.Already in the post-pandemic era, it was observed that loneliness, a key element of social capital, continued to seriously damage the subjective well-being of individuals, even in a period of greater social openness. This phenomenon was found to be influenced by individualism, living alone, social exclusion and different welfare regimes. The findings suggest that in order to increase or protect subjective well-being, the silent epidemic of loneliness must be combated. Faced with this situation, it is essential to develop social support programs that, through the creation of community support networks and telephone accompaniment services, facilitate the integration of people who feel lonely in order to increase the subjective well-being of the population.
YR 2024
FD 2024
LK https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/76344
UL https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/76344
LA spa
NO Escuela de Doctorado
DS UVaDOC
RD 19-jul-2025