Concept Of Social Capital Research Articles

Health capital: toward a conceptual framework for understanding the construction of individual health

Emerging perspectives of health as individualized and privatized capital seem promising to shed light on the construction of individual health in the face of the growing individualization of healthcare. This article reviews extant perspectives of health as capital, reflecting upon how a conceptualization of health capital might be conceived by two of the main contrasting traditions: human capital theory affiliated with the Chicago School of Economics and Bourdieusian concepts of social field and capital. Arguing that a Bourdieusian perspective is potentially more fruitful to capture the importance of social and cultural dimensions in the construction of individual health, this article arrives at a conceptualization of health capital as the aggregate of the actual or potential resources possessed by a given agent that have the capacity to affect the position of agents in the social field of health. Drawing on Bourdieu’s conceptualization of forms of capital, this article discusses the efficacy, the legitimation, and the positioning of health capital, uncovering its potential for understanding contemporary trends in health practices and health discourse.

SOCIAL CAPITAL AND POLITICS: FROM LOSING TRUST IN INSTITUTIONS TO CREATING A WELLBEING SOCIETY

Social capital is an important factor in the society’s economic, political, andsocietal development. Societies/communities high in social capital are well organizedand they gain their interest or profi t through interest groups, and organized and well-networkedcommunities are deemed to be a very effective mechanism for controlling powers.This proves that social capital, as one of the most signifi cant factors, contributes to thestability of society, its economic prosperity, and political effi ciency. From the standpointof affi rmation, it is the path that almost certainly leads to a prosperous society. On theother hand, societies low in social capital have less developmental opportunities, whichmay to a signifi cant extent affect the functionality of the community at large. The conceptof social capital comprises three main components: trust, networks, and norms. Politicaleffectiveness of the society can be measured through social trust, and political effi ciencyis a necessary condition of high levels of social trust in the community. Contemporarysocieties are characterized by an increasing atomization of individuals, having an impacton citizen participation in civil and political processes, and consequently on the levels oftrust in institutions. This paper attempts to determine the relation between social capitaland politics, in other words, to identifying some of the leading causes of the loss of institutionaltrust. It discusses the importance of social policy regarding social capital withinthe framework of the public policy of society, and the measures that strengthen the wellbeingof society.

A Metric to Assess Brokerage Positions within Social Networking Sites

Background/Context Teachers and educational professionals can draw on (informal) networks to foster their professional development. Moreover, a growing number of studies have shown that teachers use social networking sites (SNSs), such as Twitter, to keep up to date with the latest news on education and share resources with colleagues. Additionally, social capital can help to explain potential benefits of networking and has already been used to better understand professional development. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study The aim of this study is to contribute to a better understanding of the informal networking of educators in SNSs. To achieve this goal, we first indicate how the concept of social capital can be used to assess communication flows within SNSs. Then, we consider social networking metrics and question whether they are as relevant in an online realm. Next, we argue for an adjusted brokerage index, namely the social brokerage index (SBI), which can help to shed light on how brokerage positions are shaped by different people within SNSs. Finally, we provide empirical data from six educational hashtag conversations on Twitter to test the relevance and applicability of the SBI. Research Design Using Twitter data from six (international) hashtag conversations between teachers and educational professionals, we apply social network analysis methods to assess the potential formation of social capital. In applying this method to the Twitter conversations in question, we first collected data on the Twitter users who contributed to the applicable hashtag conversation. Subsequently, we built directed unweighted one-mode networks based on mentions, and replies matrices. Second, we computed the in-degree, out-degree, and overall degree centrality metrics of all users (nodes) taking part in the applicable hashtag discussions. Additionally, we also determined users’ brokerage positions, which is another indicator for social capital formation within networks. Questioning the relevance of these metrics in the context of SNSs, we propose the SBI, which departs from previous work that has largely been framed by considerations around general account characteristics (follower/following ratio), general communication patterns (retweet/mention ratio), or in-degree metrics. Conclusions/Recommendations Based on our findings, we believe that our proposed SBI has added value to the analyses of network behavior beyond the scope of Twitter. More specifically, the SBI could help to understand what type of discussions draw what type of participants and thereby shed more light on how SNSs contribute to social capital formation among teachers and educational professionals.

The structure of social capital in Austria: Subjective and objective determinants

This paper seeks to address the relationship between social capital and perceived social origin in contemporary Austria. While the concept of social capital has been widely adopted in social sciences, so far research on the (pre)structured shape of social capital by social origin is scarce. Our aim is to close this gap. Therefore, we use the network-as-capital approach by following the “position generator” and apply latent class analysis (LCA) and path modelling on the basis of the 2018 Austrian Social Survey. The dataset comprises a representative sample of the Austrian residential population aged 18 and older. Our findings show that the diversity of social capital, and access to networks of people in more highly ranked positions is strongly influenced by one’s social background. The higher respondents assess their social origin, the greater the probability of being in this type of network. Furthermore, education and occupation have effects on membership in a class-specific network.

Social Capital and Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage: Theoretical Concepts of Departure and the Potential of Further Research

Abstract This study discusses the use of the social capital concept in relation to the elements of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) and their safeguarding. The author proceeds from theoretical concepts which were employed by some researchers outside ethnological research (P. Bourdieu, Y. F. Fukuyama, R. D. Putnam and others) in the last decades. He highlights one of the basic principles of social capital, which consists of sharing the real and the potential sources, knowledge, and information, which an individual or a group of persons acquire through more or less institutionalized relations. Based on the experience from the national environment (Czech Republic) and an international organization (UNESCO) he contemplates to which extent it is possible to apply the theoretical foundations of social capital on the ICH, where the principle of sharing of and mutual respect to cultural elements is one of the basic theses. The discussion about the social capital concept in social sciences has until now shown how wide the spectrum of possible perspectives is. There is not the only possible determinant interpretation and field. The chosen theme, the methodology, and the discipline’s tradition contribute to different territorial and conceptual adaptations of social capital, which, however, also generates a potential of using this concept in the form of transdisciplinary research. This can be used, in the future, for the study of intangible cultural heritage.

Children's perspectives on health-promoting living environments: The significance of social capital.

This article discusses the usefulness of social capital as a conceptual tool to design neighbourhoods promoting children's health. The aim was to explore children's perspectives of health promoting environments, and we used a combination of photovoice and grounded theory. Children from two neighbourhoods in a Swedish municipality were invited to photograph and discuss places of importance for their well-being. They presented places facilitating togetherness, enjoyable activities and positive emotions, mostly found in their immediate environments: at home, at school and in their neighbourhoods, but the access to these places was unequally distributed between the areas. The results highlight a need for ensuring all children's access to health promoting places and to include children's views in policy and planning. Investments in the physical environment need to be combined with efforts to influence norms and collective efficacy to secure local ownership and use of these investments. We found that the concept of social capital is a relevant conceptual tool for understanding what constitutes health-promoting places from children's perspectives and contributes to a deeper understanding on how physical and social environments are interlinked.

Is Work Group Social Capital Associated With Sickness Absence? A Study of Workplace Registered Sickness Absence at the Work Group Level.

BackgroundThe concept of social capital has its focus on cooperative relations in the workplace. This study investigates the association between social capital and sickness absence among workers in 41 work groups in the Danish dairy industry and examines the possible effects of an intervention on social capital in the workplace on sickness absence.MethodsA sample of 791 dairy workers working in 41 work groups that participated in an intervention study on social capital filled in a questionnaire on four subtypes of social capital, and social capital scores from individual participants were aggregated to the level of work groups. Sickness absence was measured at the level of work groups in company registers as the two-year average percentage of working time lost to sickness absence. Group-level associations between social capital and sickness absence were analyzed using multilevel linear regression analysis. Analyses were adjusted for age, gender, group size, and random effects at the workplace level.ResultsWe found statistically significant associations between social capital within work groups, social capital in relation to the immediate manager, and social capital toward the workplace as a whole on the one side and sickness absence on the other side. We found no support for any effects of the intervention on sickness absence.ConclusionThe work group level of social capital is associated with the work group level of sickness absence. However, the intervention to enhance group-level social capital had no effect on reducing sickness absence in the intervention group.

Analysing Social Capital and Product Innovativeness in the Relationship Evolution of Born-Global Companies the Mediating Role of Knowledge Acquisition

Relatively little is known about how born-global companies (BGs) innovate abroad during their lifecycle or about how the international innovation activities of BGs are related to their social capital. The network concepts of relational, structural, and cognitive social capital are almost completely neglected in the international business literature on BGs’ innovation activities according to a dynamic approach. The aim of this research is to study the direct and indirect effects of structural, cognitive and relational social capital on BGs’ product innovation by including the mediating role of market and technological knowledge acquisition. We develop a set of hypotheses that we combine and test in a structural equation model. We provide results with theoretical and practical implications for BGs in terms of both social capital and innovation abroad.

Leveraging Social Capital to Broaden Participation in STEM

Broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is critical to the nation’s economic growth and national security. In K–12 and higher education, researchers and educators increasingly employ the concept of social capital to develop programs for improving STEM learning, motivation, and participation of young students. STEM social capital in education comprises STEM-oriented resources—whether instrumental, informational, or emotional—that students access through their social networks. Major theoretical perspectives, research evidence, and promising practices are associated with the concepts of social capital in STEM education. Students’ social capital in STEM education (derived from families, peers, teachers, and professional networks) demonstrably promotes their STEM educational outcomes and career paths. Inclusive STEM schools, mentoring, and after-school programs are some promising approaches that can enhance STEM social capital and outcomes of underrepresented students, particularly women, Blacks/Hispanics/Native Americans, youth with low socioeconomic status, and persons with disabilities.

The practitioners' perspective on the upside and downside of applying social capital concept in therapeutic settings.

Social capital, and more particularly the social networks that define its existence, is said to benefit health and well-being. In individuals recovering from alcohol and drug addiction, social capital accruing from social networks support treatment, recovery and maintenance. Therefore, the concept of social capital is important for public health practitioners working in recovery interventions. This qualitative study seeks to explore what practitioners perceive as the importance of social capital and how they apply the concept in interventions to support individuals recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. Eight public health practitioners involved in drug and substance abuse interventions in West Yorkshire, England, were interviewed. The results of the interview were then deductively coded using two priori themes of perceived impact of social capital on health outcomes and application of social capital theory in recovery interventions. The findings reveal that practitioners understand the impact of social capital as the effects of social networks on recovery and apply the concept in their interventions. However, the nature of interventions created based on similarities in condition (alcohol and substance addiction) and intended outcome (recovery) create bonding social capital with mixed outcomes. This paper argues that the wider benefits to service users are unintentionally inhibited by the overwhelming downsides of bonding social capital. For instance, closed support groups comprised of individuals with high similarities further exclude the already socioeconomically deprived service users from integrating and accessing resources outside their groups.

A contemporary understanding of nurses' workplace social capital: A response to the rapid changes in the nursing workforce.

AimTo provide an updated definition of the concept of nurses’ workplace social capital that addresses changes in the contemporary nursing workforce.BackgroundSocial capital explains the components of a constructive work environment. Advancements in psychology of workplace and changes in the demographic structure of nursing workforce call for a revised version of nurses’ workplace social capital.MethodWalker and Avant's approach was implemented. Data were compiled from ‘Medline’ and ‘CINAHL’, ‘Google’ search engine, book chapters and expertise of nursing academicians.ResultsNurses’ workplace social capital is a relational network that is configured by interactions among healthcare professionals. Although, various attributes influence these interactions, Relational Network, Trust, Shared Understanding, Reciprocity and Social Cohesion are considered as the major attributes. A healthy relational network creates a healthy workplace which can be further fortified by effective communication, active group engagements and a supportive leadership.ConclusionsResults of our concept analysis should establish a theoretical groundwork for nurse leaders to better build and more effectively lead the contemporary nursing workforce.Implication for Nursing ManagementLeaders’ dedication to workplace social capital is the tenet of a constructive workplace, which in return can support nurses to flourish in their clinical and the other professional responsibilities.

Out of the George Padmore Institute Archive: Venetta Ross, John La Rose and the Creation of New Roots in the West Indies

This article draws upon a broad range of material from the George Padmore Institute (GPI) archive to examine the emergence of Caribbean activist John La Rose (1927–2006), visionary founder of New Beacon Books, as a radical publisher in London in the 1960s. Along with this material evidence, Pierre Bourdieu’s field theory and his concept of social and symbolic capital is used to account for two apparent paradoxes at the heart of New Beacon’s project: that a self-described radical publisher relied on pre-existing networks, and that the radicality of New Beacon’s texts was produced, at least in part, by their institutionalisation. The article first describes the forms of networking, affiliation and disaffiliation that allowed La Rose to carve a space for his alternative publishing venture. It then explores an archive of letters between La Rose and West Indian teacher Venetta Ross, an ‘agent’ for New Beacon in the Caribbean. This correspondence suggests New Beacon’s role in reconceiving the secondary school curriculum in the West Indies. The closing argument of this article is methodological. From material evidence, sociologists of texts can develop a more complex picture of La Rose’s field. The field of radical Black publishing was defined not by the activities of one visionary mind, but rather made and remade by a great variety of actors.

BUILDING SOCIAL CAPITAL THROUGH INCLUSIVE BASKETBALL

The inclusive basketball program of the National Sports Academy is a compilation of adapted and unified basketball where persons with intellectual and physical disabilities together with students and volunteers are training and competing together. PURPOSE of this study is to explore the extent of contribution of our program for the building of social capital. The concept of social capital is drawn from psychology, sociology and economy. It is defined as controversial due to many theories and cultural diversity behind. METHODS: Participants in the study were all persons involved in the adapted basketball program. Data was collected using interviews, life-story techniques, field notes and tests batteries for basketball skills. RESULTS are showing improvement in personal development domain for the athletes with disabilities where sport specific skills, building trust and communications were the leading components. For the students in the same domain the leading components of improvement were attitudes and relationships. Positive change was found in the domains of social inclusion, micro-culture and participation. We also found that there is direct and indirect production of social capital. CONCLUSION: inclusive sport practice like our adapted basketball program could be considered as a powerful contributor to the building of social capital.

The social capital impact on the effectiveness of university departments

The article presents the results of assessing the level of social capital of a university department, the mutual influence of the type of organizational culture and the effectiveness of its work. In the course of the study, the concept of social capital was generalized and refined in the context of the concept of sustainable education, as well as in relation to an educational institution, to the community of a higher educational organization. There were tested the ideas of N.P. Makarkin and O.B. Tomilina about the impact of organizational culture on the efficiency of the university. To ensure the comparison of the different departments data with each other there was proposed a method for bringing to a single scale of assessments and calculating weighted average indicators, which made it possible to derive a single integral assessment of the social capital of a department/unit.

Теоретичні підходи до формування соціального капіталу

The article examines the peculiarities of the emergence and formation of the concept of social capital. The article is aimed at a theoretical substantiation of the process of formation of social capital and formulation of the definition of the category of «social capital» from the position of multiaspectivity of its study. The formation of social capital is considered as a process of creating and capitalizing social ties. It is proved that the process of formation of social capital is characterized by the presence of not only direct, but also inverse interactions between the subjects in the exchange of resources. The mutual influence of factors that change due to the use of social capital is substantiated, and conclusions about the process of formation of social capital are drawn as follows: social interactions should be considered as a mutually inverse process of linear nature; the content of social capital is determined not by «input» factors, but the structural characteristics of the mechanism of influence on social capital; each time when studying the impact of certain factors on social capital, the consequences are much wider; dynamics (pace, speed) of changes in the amount of social capital multiplicatively influences socio-economic processes; there is a possibility of transition of positive dynamics of the growth of social capital into the negative dynamics and vice versa; the presence of synergistic effect due to the influence of factors of both direct and inverse influence on the formation of social capital. The formation of social capital is a dynamic and multifactorial process of accumulation of social ties on the basis of trust, characterized by systemic relationships of both direct and inverse influence, the defined interdependences of structural components of social capital, which are influenced by cultural, historical, economic, political, socio-psychological, mental, and information factors.

Capitalizing on Cultural Assets: Community Cultural Wealth and Immigrant-Origin Students

Nearly one of four students enrolled in public school in the United States is of immigrant origin. School counselors are poised to support immigrant-origin students with academic, college and career, and social/emotional needs. This article introduces how community cultural wealth (CCW), a social capital concept focusing on the strengths of immigrant-origin students, brings a culturally responsive lens to multitiered system of supports interventions identified in the school counseling literature. We present case studies highlighting the implementation of CCW and discuss implications and future directions for school counseling practice.

County-Level Social Capital and Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infections in the United States.

The association between county-level social capital indices (SCIs) and the 3 most commonly reported sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States is lacking. In this study, we determined and examined the association between 2 recently developed county-level SCIs (ie, Penn State Social Capital Index [PSSCI] vs United States Congress Social Capital Index [USCSCI]) and the 3 most commonly reported bacterial STIs (chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis) using spatial and nonspatial regression techniques. We assembled and analyzed multiyear (2012-2016) cross-sectional data on STIs and 2 SCIs (PSSCI vs USCSCI) on counties in all 48 contiguous states. We explored 2 nonspatial regression models (univariate and multiple generalized linear models) and 3 spatial regression models (spatial lag model, spatial error model, and the spatial autoregressive moving average model) for comparison. Without exception, all the SCIs were negatively associated with all 3 STI morbidities. A 1-unit increase in the SCIs was associated with at least 9% (P < 0.001) decrease in each STI. Our test of the magnitude of the estimated associations indicated that the USCSCI was at least 2 times higher than the estimates for the PSSCI for all STIs (highest P value = 0.01). Overall, our results highlight the potential benefits of applying/incorporating social capital concepts to STI control and prevention efforts. In addition, our results suggest that for the purpose of planning, designing, and implementing effective STI control and prevention interventions/programs, understanding the communities' associational life (as indicated by the factors/data used to develop the USCSCI) may be important.

The relationship between social capital and innovativeness climate in schools

PurposeProfessional learning communities that merge under the same goal in schools where social relationship networks are strong can contribute to creating an atmosphere which provides a basis for innovativeness. In this study the relationships between social capital, innovativeness climate and professional learning communities were examined through the views of teachers working at public schools. The paper aims to discuss this issue.Design/methodology/approachThe data of this study, which utilised correlational survey model, were collected from 734 teachers who work in the Umraniye district of Istanbul, Turkey.FindingsThe findings revealed that there is a positive and statistically significant correlation between social capital, innovativeness climate and professional learning communities. The results demonstrated that teachers’ perceptions of social capital in schools affected their perceptions of innovativeness climate and that professional learning communities had an intermediary role in this relationship. These findings showed that the richness in social relationship networks provided a basis for the development of innovative teaching practices in schools and the professional learning environments created in schools contributed to this process.Research limitations/implicationsIn this study, the intermediary role of professional learning communities on the effect of social capital on innovativeness climate was analysed via teachers’ views. In the literature no study studying the relationship between social capital, innovativeness climate and professional learning communities was found.Practical implicationsIt can be put forward that there is a need for studies that analyse the effect of the roots of social capital on innovativeness culture to identify other variables that may potentially be relevant. In addition, this study may be a contribution to the literature by providing a study on the concepts of social capital and innovativeness climate, which were studied in the fields of social sciences extensively, in educational settings and this supports the field through theoretical and empirical studies.Originality/valueThis study demonstrated the effects of the concept of social capital on innovativeness climate which provides a basis for innovativeness in educational institutions. This topic is currently on the agenda of the OECD and World Bank. Moreover, this study aims to show the intermediary role of professional learning communities in the relationship between social capital and innovativeness climate.

Social Capital and Physical Activity Level in an Urban Adult Population

ABSTRACTBackground: Despite several studies on the concept of social capital in relation to health during the last two decades, the majority of these works have been conducted in developed countries.Purposes: This study examines the correlation between domains of social capital (reciprocity, trust, and social network) and physical activity level in an Iranian adult population. In addition, the study explores to find whether this relation is affected by socioeconomic status. Method: A total of 2000 questionnaires were distributed among adults living in 12 neighborhoods of Bandar Abbas city, Iran. Of this population, 1828 qualified questionnaires were utilized for further analysis. Results: High level of physical inactivity (62.3%) was reported by the participants. Discussion: Norms of reciprocity and neighborhood trust associated with the higher physical activity level among men and women. However, social network contributed to a higher level of physical activity among women group. The study indicated the correlation of socioeconomic variables with social capital indicators and physical activity level. Translation to Health Education Practice: Findings suggest that programming efforts and research should focus on increasing organized activities that support neighborhood participation and social activity to promote social interaction and trust among residents.A AJHE Self-Study quiz is online for this article via the SHAPE America Online Institute (SAOI) http://portal.shapeamerica.org/trn-Webinars

Social capital in the viewpoint of members of the boards of trustees of primary schools in Assiut governorate countryside, Egypt

The concept of social capital occupied an important place in the era of globalization as a result of the failure of development efforts witnessed in the second half of the last century and the inability to achieve justice, to emphasize its scientific value as a civilized economic effort that went beyond the adversity of development, growth and the inequitable distribution of wealth. In this context, the current research sheds light on the diagnosis of the reality of social capital in the primary school, and how it is formed under the factors linked between the school and members of the Board of Trustees and parents, and the role it plays in guiding and facilitating the educational process, and then achieve the desired scientific knowledge of the educational system. The present research methodology is based on the sample survey methodology applied to 36 members of the Board of Trustees distributed in 5 selected primary schools from the centers of Abutieg, Sahel Selim, Assiut, Qusiya and Abnoub in Assiut governorate, Egypt. Perhaps the most prominent findings of the study are that those with a medium knowledge of the concept of social capital accounted for the majority, while the low and high literacy rate did not exceed a quarter of the total respondents, and that the prevailing trend for the four dimensions of social capital was characterized by the average for the dimension of tolerance, diversity, and acceptance of the other. It had a tendency towards the average for the dimension of mutual trust, and was characterized by the average for the dimension of the network of social relations, coming after the collective and voluntary work to be the predominant trend on the high. Of course, this reality of social capital drives towards improving the relationship between the school and the surrounding community, which leads to improvement of the educational process in the primary education system.