Cohort Differences in Swedish Union Membership 1956–2019 and the Role of Individualization
Discussions of the role of cohort differences have long been part of academic research on union membership, with a central hypothesis being that the general decline in unionization is caused by changes toward more individualistic values in the younger generations. However, the short time span of mo...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Aalborg University
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ojs3-stage.kb.dk/njwls/article/view/129503 |
| _version_ | 1828229683129352192 |
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| author | Erik Vestin Patrik Vulkan |
| author_facet | Erik Vestin Patrik Vulkan |
| author_sort | Erik Vestin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Discussions of the role of cohort differences have long been part of academic research on union membership, with a central hypothesis being that the general decline in unionization is caused by changes toward more individualistic values in the younger generations. However, the short time span of most studies makes it uncertain if they can separate cohort effects from age effects. Using survey data going back to 1956, we test the individualization hypothesis. Our main result is that later Swedish cohorts are indeed less prone to join unions. In particular, the differences between cohorts born before and after ca 1970 are striking. We also provide evidence that the erosion in union membership in Sweden is not related to changes toward more individualistic values in later cohorts, or even to more negative views of unions per se.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:36:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-95a6c886fa274942900379459ab7032d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2245-0157 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T18:36:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | Aalborg University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-95a6c886fa274942900379459ab7032d2022-12-22T03:20:55ZengAalborg UniversityNordic Journal of Working Life Studies2245-01572022-02-0112S8Cohort Differences in Swedish Union Membership 1956–2019 and the Role of IndividualizationErik VestinPatrik Vulkan0University of Gothenburg Discussions of the role of cohort differences have long been part of academic research on union membership, with a central hypothesis being that the general decline in unionization is caused by changes toward more individualistic values in the younger generations. However, the short time span of most studies makes it uncertain if they can separate cohort effects from age effects. Using survey data going back to 1956, we test the individualization hypothesis. Our main result is that later Swedish cohorts are indeed less prone to join unions. In particular, the differences between cohorts born before and after ca 1970 are striking. We also provide evidence that the erosion in union membership in Sweden is not related to changes toward more individualistic values in later cohorts, or even to more negative views of unions per se. https://ojs3-stage.kb.dk/njwls/article/view/129503Identity, Meaning & CultureLabor Market Institutions & Social Partners |
| spellingShingle | Erik Vestin Patrik Vulkan Cohort Differences in Swedish Union Membership 1956–2019 and the Role of Individualization Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies Identity, Meaning & Culture Labor Market Institutions & Social Partners |
| title | Cohort Differences in Swedish Union Membership 1956–2019 and the Role of Individualization |
| title_full | Cohort Differences in Swedish Union Membership 1956–2019 and the Role of Individualization |
| title_fullStr | Cohort Differences in Swedish Union Membership 1956–2019 and the Role of Individualization |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cohort Differences in Swedish Union Membership 1956–2019 and the Role of Individualization |
| title_short | Cohort Differences in Swedish Union Membership 1956–2019 and the Role of Individualization |
| title_sort | cohort differences in swedish union membership 1956 2019 and the role of individualization |
| topic | Identity, Meaning & Culture Labor Market Institutions & Social Partners |
| url | https://ojs3-stage.kb.dk/njwls/article/view/129503 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT erikvestin cohortdifferencesinswedishunionmembership19562019andtheroleofindividualization AT patrikvulkan cohortdifferencesinswedishunionmembership19562019andtheroleofindividualization |