Many studies have examined the impact of the arts on educational outcomes, physical and mental health outcomes, local economies, and community well-being. Yet considerably less attention has been given to the impact that participation in the arts has on civil society.
This study seeks to remedy this gap in the literature by examining the effect that audience-based arts participation and direct arts participation have on three measures of civil society. We rely on data from the General Social Survey, which offers information on the arts participation behavior as well as person contributions to civil society of a random sample of adults living in the U.S. (n=2,765). Multivariate analysis is used to estimate the effects of audience-based arts participation, as well as direct participation in the arts on three dimensions of civil society: civic engagement, social tolerance, and other-regarding behavior.
We find strong evidence that the
arts enhance civil society; individuals who have both direct and indirect exposure to the arts are more engaged in civic activities within their communities, have higher levels of social tolerance on some dimensions of the measure, and demonstrate higher rates other-regarding behavior. The
importance of this research is that it demonstrates the unique contribution of the
arts in predicting individual-level social outcomes and its importance to the health of civil society.
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