ABSTRACT
As Wolfgang Lutz points out in Chapter 5, demographers have so far searched in vain for theories that can explain fertility trends in Europe today and make plausible predictions for the future. This lack of any overarching framework applies just as much to the other dimensions of demography. One possible approach that is showing promise within sociology and that could throw new light on demographic change is social capital theory. In this chapter we focus on the relationship between civic society and the family and how the two work together to shape patterns of social capital. The ideas and methods used here might be of use for future research in demography.
