How inequality affects cultural participation in Europe: Comparing before and after the financial crisis

The association between socio-economic inequalities and cultural participation has been extensively studied but not often from a cross-national perspective. This chapter examines the disparities in cultural participation within and between European countries by comparing cultural participation before and after the EU debt crisis in 2008. European countries have responded unevenly to the social challenges this financial crisis poses, with its repercussions being more severe in the Mediterranean and Eastern European countries. This study scrutinises the interplay between individual resources and the welfare state by comparing two Eurobarometer data sets from 2007 and 2013. The analysis identifies patterns of systematic heterogeneity in cultural participation among 28 European countries, shedding light on both within- and between-country drivers of inequality. Furthermore, the findings underscore the influence of the socioeconomic context on Europeans’ cultural participation, which is particularly accentuated during periods of economic turndown. The findings imply that understanding how a country’s welfare policies mediate the relationship between social status and cultural engagement is crucial for fostering inclusive societies, a topic that is explored further in the discussion.