Bonding or bridging? On art participation and social cohesion in a rural region of the Netherlands

Abstract

Abstract One of the reasons for authorities to promote art participation is the supposedly positive effect of art on social cohesion. Based on theories about social cohesion (e.g. Dijkstra et al., 2004; Gittell & Vidal, 1998 ; Green & Janmaat, 2011; Putnam, 2000; Schnabel, 2000) this assumption is tested by making a distinction between bonding and bridging cohesive behavior. The results of quantitative and qualitative empirical research on regional art participation policy in the Netherlands indicate that there is a correlation between confirmative art and bonding cohesive behavior on the one hand and challenging art and bridging cohesive behavior on the other. When authorities have a better idea of what kind of social cohesion they are aiming for, they can perform a more focused and therefore effective policy.