General Social Survey: Social engagement

Over the course of their lives, Canadians engage in many types of civic and social activities that play a vital role in the health and vitality of the nation. Preliminary findings of a new report show a positive relationship between the various dimensions of this “social capital” and the satisfaction people derive in their lives.

This report provides comprehensive information from the 2003 General Social Survey (GSS) on Social Engagement, which covered just under 25,000 Canadians aged 15 years and older. It was designed to further understanding by shedding light on the many ways in which Canadians engage in civic and social life.

Some of the civic and social activities that Canadians engage in include donating their time and money to charity; becoming members of organizations; voting in elections and engaging in other political activities; attending religious services; and establishing social networks with friends, neighbours, co-workers and acquaintances.

This “social capital” has attracted the interest of researchers and policy-makers. Many of them wish to develop a better understanding of how social networks and norms of trust and reciprocity may contribute positively to individual and social outcomes.

It was in this environment that the 2003 GSS on social engagement was developed. This survey collected comprehensive information on a wide range of activities in which Canadians are engaged.

Information was collected on Canadians' social contacts with family, friends and neighbours; their involvement in formal organizations, political activities and religious services; their level of trust in people and in public institutions; and their sense of belonging to Canada, their province and their community.

More research is necessary in order to explore this relationship between social engagement and well-being. However, preliminary findings show that people who derive their highest sense of satisfaction from life are those who describe their sense of community as very strong, those who are involved in one or more groups or organizations, and those who express confidence in their public institutions.

Organizational involvement: Six in 10 people belong to a group

The majority (61%) of Canadians belonged to at least one group or organization. Sports and recreational organizations, such as hockey leagues, health clubs or golf clubs, were reported most often. They were followed by unions and professional associations; cultural, education or hobby groups (such as book clubs); religious-affiliated groups (such as church choirs); and school, neighbourhood or community-associated groups. About 8% of Canadians belonged to a service club or fraternal organization.

GSS respondents were asked if they had participated in specific types of political activities during the year prior to the survey. About 28% of Canadians reported that they had signed a petition, while 26% had searched for information on a political issue. About one-fifth had attended a public meeting. Similarly, about one-fifth had boycotted or chosen a product for ethical reasons. About 13% had expressed their views on an issue by contacting a newspaper or a politician, while 6% had participated in a march or demonstration.

The survey found that the higher an individual's level of education and household income, the more likely he or she is to get involved in an organization or participate in political activities.

While most Canadians attached importance to religious and spiritual beliefs, far fewer were regular participants at religious services. Just under one-third (30%) had attended religious services or meetings at least once a month in the year prior to the survey. About one-quarter had attended services at least once or a few times during the year.

Social contacts: Four in 10 had extensive contacts in their neighbourhood

In addition to networks maintained with family and friends, Canadians have ties to the neighbourhoods in which they live.

More than one-quarter (27%) of Canadians said they knew most of the people in their neighbourhood, while 16% said they knew many of them. Combining these two categories, 43% of Canadians had fairly extensive contacts in their immediate neighbourhood.

The GSS confirmed the image of small towns as places where people are most neighbourly. Most individuals who lived in rural or small town areas (69%) said they knew many or most of the people in their neighbourhood. This was more than twice the proportion of 33% in Canada's largest cities.

There was also a correlation between the type of dwelling in which people live and the extent to which they know their neighbours. In census metropolitan areas, 51% of those residing in single detached homes knew most or many of the people in their neighbourhood. This was the case for only 28% of people who lived in apartments.

Strong sense of belonging to Canada, provinces and community

Individuals who responded to the 2003 GSS were asked a series of questions about their sense of belonging to Canada, their province and their local community.

The vast majority, about 85%, described their sense of belonging to Canada as "very strong" or "somewhat strong." In contrast, 13% described their feelings as "somewhat weak" or "very weak."

The majority of respondents also said they felt a very strong or somewhat strong sense of belonging to their province and their local community, although such views were less prevalent than they were at the national level.

Feelings of belonging varied with demographics. For example, very strong feelings were more prevalent among older individuals than younger.

Outside Quebec, differences from province-to-province in feelings of belonging were modest. About 87% of people in British Columbia described their sense of belonging to Canada as very strong or somewhat strong, which was the lowest proportion. The highest proportion, 95%, was in Prince Edward Island.

Such views were less prevalent in Quebec than elsewhere. Still, three-quarters (74%) of Quebeckers described their sense of belonging to the country as either very strong or somewhat strong.

The survey asked respondents about the level of confidence they had in nine selected public institutions. Canadians ranked the police and local businesses highest, and the federal Parliament and the welfare system lowest.

Four out of every five Canadians (82%) had a "great deal' or "quite a lot" of confidence in the police. Only 43% had the same level of confidence in the federal Parliament, and only 41% in the welfare system.

About two-thirds of Canadians said they had strong confidence in banks (68%), the health care system (67%) and the school system (65%), while about 57% said they had confidence in the justice system.

Trust: Four in 10 said people can't be too careful

In recent years, there has been considerable interest among researchers in the level of trust within countries and regions. Economists, for example, have been interested in determining if economic growth is associated with the level of trust that citizens have in one another.

Overall, only 53% of Canadians said that generally-speaking, people can be trusted. About 43% said that one cannot be too careful in dealing with people. Women and men had comparable views in this respect, as did individuals in different age groups.

Individuals with higher levels of educational attainment and those living in households with higher incomes were more likely than others to say that generally, people can be trusted.

For example, two-thirds of people with a university degree and with household income of $80,000 or more felt people could be trusted. This was a much higher proportion than among people who had less than a high school education and incomes of less than $20,000. Of these people, only 4 in 10 felt people could be trusted.

Provincially, a relatively small share of Quebec residents felt people can be trusted. Just over one-third (35%) felt this way, while this view was expressed by more than 60% of individuals in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and in all provinces west of Ontario.

It is interesting to note that individuals in Quebec were less likely to express trust in other individuals, but more likely to express confidence in institutions.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 5024

The report 2003 General Social Survey on Social Engagement, Cycle 17: An Overview of Findings (89-598-XIE, free) is now available online. From the Our products and services page, under Browse our Internet publications, choose Free, then Social conditions.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Grant Schellenberg (613-951-9580), Demography Division.