Social Capital Measures Research Articles

State Capacity and COVID-19 Responses: Comparing the US States

Abstract This article addresses the interstate differences in outcomes from the coronavirus disease COVID-19 pandemic by focusing on state capacity. State capacity refers to states’ ability to create and implement policy. We posit that states want to limit death and destruction within their borders. COVID-19 created an instance in which states had a shared, preferred outcome but had very different levels of success. Using a novel measure of state capacity that allows for subnational comparisons – and is independent of ideological political will – we show that states with greater capacity experienced fewer excess deaths during 2020 and more successfully distributed vaccines in early 2021. The findings are robust to various measures of partisanship, social capital, geography, and demographics. Our work bridges US state politics literature and comparative politics literature on state capacity, and it contributes to research on the politics of pandemics.

Good Friends and Good Neighbors: Social Capital and Food Insecurity in Families with Newborns

To examine the association between social capital and household food insecurity among US families with newborns. This cross-sectional analysis used enrollment data from 881 newborn-caregiver dyads at six geographically-diverse US academic sites enrolled in the Greenlight Plus Trial, a comparative effectiveness trial to prevent childhood obesity. Ordinal proportional-odds models were used to characterize the associations of two self-reported measures of social capital: 1) caregiver social support and 2) neighborhood social cohesion, with household food insecurity after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Among 881 newborn-caregiver dyads (49% Hispanic, 23% non-Hispanic white, 17% non-Hispanic Black; 49% with annual household income <$50,000), food security was high for 75%, marginal for 9%, low for 11% and very low for 4%. In covariate-adjusted analyses, caregivers with a low social support score of 18 had five times the odds (aOR=5.03 95%CI=3.28-7.74) of greater food insecurity compared with caregivers with a high social support score of 30. Caregivers with a low neighborhood social cohesion score of 10 had nearly three times the odds (aOR=2.87 95%CI 1.61-5.11) of greater food insecurity compared with caregivers with a high neighborhood social cohesion score of 20. These associations remained robust when both social capital measures were included in one model. Caregiver social support and neighborhood social cohesion each appear to be inversely associated with food insecurity among US families with newborns. Longitudinal research is needed to determine the directionality of these relationships and whether improving social capital for families with young children reduces household food insecurity.

Does redistribution affect cooperation and trust?

We experimentally investigate the degree to which redistribution, the act of taking money from some individuals and giving it to others, affects social capital in groups. We measure social capital as the degree to which group members exhibit cooperativeness, trust and trustworthiness toward one another. Our experiment involves several rounds of real-effort production, in which we vary the degree to which individual income is redistributed at the end of each round according to either progressive or regressive redistributive policies. We find no statistically significant impacts of such experience with redistribution on any of our primary measures of social capital. Exploratory work considering heterogeneous impacts by relative income positions and using alternative measures of social capital also yields no reliable impacts. We observe some impacts of redistribution on productivity.

Sports following and social capital in the United States: Social networks and trust

Scholarship on sports following represents a burgeoning field of inquiry in the sociology of sport, yet sport following's connections to, or ability to facilitate, social capital remains underexplored. Drawing on a contemporary nationwide survey of the United States and employing the foundational theories of social capital by which we operationalize statistical analyses using regression modeling, this study investigates the nuanced contributions of sports following to various dimensions of social capital. Our analysis reveals complex relationships of sports following to social network size, community engagement, neighborhood trust, and social network variety, highlighting sports following as a significant predictor for all our operationalized social capital measures, although negatively so for neighborhood trust. Exploring the interplay between sports following, individual characteristics, and socio-political affiliations, results underscore the powerful predictive capacity of sports following even controlling for other characteristics, highlighting strong potentiality for building social capital, although along some dimensions more than others. These findings spotlight the domain of sports following as fertile ground for further investigation into its capacity to serve as a unique facilitator of social capital on the increasingly divided American socio-cultural landscape.

Perceptions of Social Capital Before and After the Perpetration of Femicide, Homicide, and Other Serious Crimes: Evidence from Argentina.

Over the past two decades, femicide-the gender-based killing of women or girls-has become an issue of international concern. Yet relatively little data on perpetrators exist. Current research primarily focuses on individual risk factors with less attention on community and societal factors. We use a social capital approach to examine femicide by analyzing the extent to which crime perpetrators experience and perceive social punishment (exclusion) from their social networks. Using a quota sampling strategy, we administered a cross-sectional questionnaire to perpetrators of femicide (N = 71), male-male homicide (N = 73), and other serious crimes (N = 64) across four prisons in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Other crime perpetrators served as a control to the two lethal crime groups. Perceived social capital scores were assigned based on responses to two scales adapted from the World Bank's "Integrated Questionnaire for the Measurement of Social Capital." Before committing murder, femicide and homicide perpetrators' scores were not statistically different. Yet after the crime, femicide perpetrators retained significantly greater scores than homicide perpetrators. The perceived social capital scores of other crime perpetrators did not change after the commission of their crimes. As a secondary objective, we examined the individual and social contexts of femicide perpetrators. Most (85%) of the femicide perpetrators could name at least one other person in their social network whom they knew to be physically violent during disagreements with their partner, while 11% stated that "everyone" they knew used violence during disagreements. Although the penalty for committing femicide and homicide is ostensibly equivalent-a life sentence of 50 years-we found that the informal social punishment femicide perpetrators perceived is less severe than that experienced by homicide perpetrators. These data indicate a lack of social punishment for femicide, compared to other crimes, showing social legitimization of the crime. These findings support the development of community-level interventions to prevent femicide.

Your friends, your credit: Social capital measures derived from social media and the credit market

We document a robust correlation between the Bricker and Li (2017) social trust indicator and the Chetty et al. (2022a) economic connectedness measure. The two indicators predict upward income mobility independently to a comparable extent. The Bricker–Li indicator is defined as the average credit score of a community, and the Chetty et al. measures are based on Facebook befriending data. The consistency and complementarity between these two indicators underscore trust as a crucial ingredient of social capital.

Social Capital Contribution to Community Development, Analysis in the Two Main Urban Centers of Colombia

Next, the main objective is to identify the incidence of the generation and accumulation of social capital in community development. In the two main economic centers of Colombia (Bogotá and Medellin), descriptive research is carried out with quantitative analysis based on The collection of official data in four official measurements carried out in the country, this study starts by recognizing an accumulated low at the national level in the official measurements of social capital in recent decades, an incident factor in low social cohesion, and therefore poor level of generation of social fabric created from associativity, this being an agent incident in the development of a territory in terms of development.

Influence of Economic Connectedness on Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea Severity and Adenotonsillectomy Outcomes.

To examine the influence of economic connectedness (EC), a measure of social capital, on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity and adenotonsillectomy outcomes in children. Retrospective study. Single tertiary medical center. The study population included 286 children who were referred for full-night polysomnography for OSA and underwent adenotonsillectomy. The primary outcome was the relationship between EC and the presence of severe OSA, and secondary outcomes included postoperative emergency room visits and residual OSA after adenotonsillectomy. Linear regression, Kruskal-Wallis test, Pearson's χ2 test, and multiple logistic regression were used for categorical and continuous data as appropriate. In this population, the median age was 9.0 (interquartile range [IQR] = 6.9-11.7) and 144 (50.3%) were male. The majority were white (176, 62.0%), black (60, 21.1%), and/or of Hispanic ethnicity (173, 60.9%). The median EC of this population was 0.64 (IQR = 0.53-0.86). Higher EC was associated with decreased odds of having severe OSA (odds ratio: 0.17, 95% confidence interval = 0.05-0.61). However, EC was not associated with either postoperative emergency room visits or residual OSA. EC was significantly associated with severe OSA (ie, apnea-hypopnea index ≥ 10) but not with postoperative emergency room visits or residual OSA after adenotonsillectomy. Further research is needed to understand the effects of various social capital measures on pediatric OSA and adenotonsillectomy outcomes.

Social capital enhances the resilience of agricultural cooperatives: Comparative case studies in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Agricultural cooperatives play an important role in increasing rice production and contribute to the rural economy of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, but their resilience can be influenced by community governance and the social capital of members. This study investigated the comparative importance of social capital of members in two agricultural cooperatives in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. We focused on two primary research questions: (1) How has social capital influenced the resilience of agricultural cooperatives for rice production? (2) What key factors influenced social capital in the two cooperatives? The study applied qualitative and quantitative data collection methods including focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and household surveys. Measures of social capital of members in the cooperative in An Giang scored higher than that of members in the cooperative in Can Tho. Our study found that low levels of education amongst members and weak bonding social capital between subgroups with different social networks and different farming outputs in the same cooperative were two key factors impacting adversely on the resilience of the two cooperatives. Trust was revealed to be a very important component of successful ACs. These are critical areas that need to be addressed by policy makers in order to improve the community governance and resilience of rice farming cooperatives in the Mekong Delta.

Social capital and changes of psychologic distress during early stage of COVID-19 in New orleans

Here we report on the relationship between measures of social capital, and their association with changes in self-reported measures of psychological distress during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic. We analyze data from an existing cluster randomized control trial (the Healthy Neighborhoods Project) with 244 participants from New Orleans, Louisiana. Changes in self-reported scores between baseline (January 2019–March 2020) and participant’s second survey (March 20, 2020, and onwards) are calculated. Logistic regression is employed to examine the association between social capital indicators and measures of psychological distress adjusting for key covariates and controlling for residential clustering effects. Participants reporting higher than average scores for social capital indicators are significantly less likely to report increases in psychosocial distress between pre and during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who report higher than average sense of community were approximately 1.2 times less likely than those who report lower than average sense of community scores to experience increases in psychological distress before and during the global pandemic (OR 0.79; 95% CI 0.70,0.88, p ≤ 0.001), even after controlling for key covariates. Findings highlight the potentially important role that community social capital and related factors may play in the health of underrepresented populations during times of major stress. Specifically, the results suggest an important role of cognitive social capital and perceptions of community membership, belonging, and influence in buffering changes of mental health distress experienced during the initial period of the COVID-19 pandemic among a sample of residents.

Acquisitions and social capital

AbstractWe examine the association between the social capital—social norms that encourage altruism and discourage opportunism—in the state of the firm's headquarters and the acquisitions it makes. We find that the cumulative abnormal return around an acquisition announcement is high when an acquirer is headquartered in a high social capital state in the United States. This effect is robust and incremental to the effect of a firm's corporate social responsibility (CSR) ratings and economically comparable to the effect of corporate governance. The effect of social capital is stronger for firms that have lower CSR ratings, which indicates social capital may act as a substitute for CSR. An additional analysis shows that social capital's effect is stronger in a subsample of firms with weak corporate governance. Acquirers from states with high social capital also demonstrate less hubris in acquiring targets than those from states with low social capital as the evidence of lower bid premiums indicates. Overall, our results show that the social norms that social capital measures mitigate potential agency problems in acquisitions by inducing managers to honor their obligations to shareholders.

Leader Social Capital in Real Estate Firms Via Colleague Ingredients

Objective: The following were the objectives of this study: (i) analysis and measurement of leader social capital in real estate firms in Hanoi and neighboring provinces, Vietnam, via colleague ingredients; (ii) comparison of assessments of the leader social capital in real estate firms in Hanoi and neighboring provinces, Vietnam, via colleague ingredients, between respondents. Method: The data used in this study are primary, including survey data obtained from the respondents. We designed a questionnaire related to the leader's social capital via colleague ingredients in real estate firms in Hanoi and neighboring provinces, Vietnam. We determined the observed variables (scales) of the leader's social capital via colleague ingredients in real estate firms in Hanoi and neighboring provinces, Vietnam, based on previous studies and expert interview results. We use both qualitative and quantitative research methods, including descriptive statistics, the independent T test, and ANOVA analysis. Results: According to the findings of this study, three attributes of the leader's social capital via colleague ingredients in real estate firms in Hanoi and neighboring provinces, Vietnam, were quite high. All the attributes of the variables are statistically significant. There is no statistically significant difference in the leader's social capital via colleague ingredients in real estate firms in Hanoi and neighboring provinces, Vietnam, between these different genders, marital statuses, and ages. Conclusions: It was found that, although still difficult, the current real estate market has more opportunities than challenges. Because macroeconomics, the world economy, and Vietnam are showing signs of recovery, inflation and interest rates are no longer increasing and are gradually decreasing; legal and institutional problems are also gradually being resolved and implemented; planning at all levels is being completed; and public investment and infrastructure development have been promoted. This article is an academic contribution that enables understanding of the research developed and focuses on leaders' social capital via colleague ingredients in real estate firms in Hanoi and neighboring provinces, Vietnam, considering data from several reference research databases and survey results.

Socioeconomic inequalities in depressive symptoms in China: The role of social capital

This cohort study used the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, 2015–2018) to investigate the effects of socioeconomic status and social capital to the incidence of depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older individuals in China, incorporating a sample size of 9949 participants. Socioeconomic status, social capital and other explanatory variables were collected in 2015, while depressive symptoms were assessed in 2018. Basic characteristics and social capital measures were compared between urban and rural residents using the chi-square test. Logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between socioeconomic status, social capital and depressive symptoms, and the Karlson, Holm, and Breen (KHB) method was employed to verify the mediating role of social capital. We reported persistent socioeconomic inequalities in depressive symptoms, with rural residents and the illiterate having 1.45 times and 1.34 times higher odds of depression. We ascertained social capital from both the cognitive and structural constructs, where we enriched the measurement of structural social capital from three specific dimensions, i.e., informal interaction, altruism, and formal social participation. We found that both cognitive and structural social capital were associated with lower incidence of depressive symptoms, where informal interaction had the largest effect. The mediation analysis further illustrated that informal interaction contributed most to explain 6 %–12 % of the socioeconomic inequalities in depressive symptoms. These results highlighted the unsatisfied mental wellbeing of the vulnerable older people living in rural areas. The finding suggested that older people may benefit more from personal interactions than formal participations. To fulfill the Health in All vision, government and social organizations should consider how to create opportunities to better integrate the older people into the community.

‘Mãos amigas’: comunidades intencionais e desenvolvimento de capital social. Dados de Portugal

ABSTRACT Introduction: Building upon the theoretical frameworks of Pierre Bourdieu and Nan Lin regarding social capital, this study examined the capacity of two Portuguese intentional communities (ICs) to cultivate and promote social capital. Our goal was to assess the decommodification potential of these alternative social structures and their role in mitigating social inequality. Materials and methods: Our data collection involved a combination of participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Additionally, we employed slightly adapted versions of social capital mapping and measurement techniques, incorporating the identification of contacts with prestigious positions/occupations (Position-Generator) and access to relevant resources (Resource-Generator). Results: Our findings indicate that social networks developed in the context of intentional communities can play a crucial role in promoting the accumulation of economic benefits and human capital, as well as in fostering the development of social identity and offering emotional support. However, notable disparities emerged between the two case studies concerning their capacity to reduce market dependence and the value of the different forms of mobilized social capital. In one instance, community economies based on collective, profitable activities effectively addressed basic needs through communal labour. Conversely, in the other case, while community economies based on individual enterprises reduced the personal costs associated with meeting basic needs, this led to increased dependence on external, temporary employment. Within this context, individual social capital, such as intra-community relationships, emerges as pivotal for securing economic gains, such as enhanced employability and the acquisition of new skills. Discussion: The internal structure of intentional communities directly impacts the development of social capital and the reduction of market dependence, thereby playing a crucial role in promoting equality and inclusion. While intentional communities offer emotional benefits, they may also present barriers to entry for individuals with limited financial resources. Continued longitudinal studies are essential to assess whether the initial diversity within these communities translates into social equality and to identify the contributing factors to such outcomes.

CHILDHOOD FAMILY ENVIRONMENT, GENETIC RISK FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, AND LATE-LIFE COGNITIVE DECLINE

Abstract How genetic risks for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) interact with environmental factors to shape individuals’ cognitive trajectories across the lifespan is a burgeoning area of research. However, relatively little is known about the role childhood family environment plays in the relationship between genetic risk factors for AD and cognitive decline in later life. This study examined whether and how early-life family environments may modify cognitive decline associated with genetic AD risks. Using longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS; 1998-2018), we followed over 9,000 individuals aged 51 and older during the observation period spanning nearly two decades. Cognitive functioning was assessed with the full cognitive battery from the HRS. Childhood family environment was evaluated separately with the relationship quality with one’s mother and the number of household adults before the age of 16. We estimated a series of multilevel models to assess the association between polygenic risk score for AD (PGS-AD) and changes in cognitive functioning, and whether the association was moderated by the two measures of childhood social capital. Findings indicated that childhood maternal relationship quality, but not the number of household adults, protected against cognitive decline accelerated by PGS-AD. That is, the associations between higher PGS-AD and accelerated cognitive decline were attenuated for individuals who reported a better childhood maternal relationship. Findings are in line with the biopsychosocial model of health and suggest that a better quality of maternal relationships in childhood may have a protective effect on cognitive functioning across the lifespan.

A MODEL ACCESSORY-DWELLING UNIT BYLAW: INCLUSIVE ZONING FOR ALL

Abstract Adapting the built-environment to include an accessory-dwelling unit (ADU) is one alternative housing solution for older adults to remain in their home and community, avoid institutionalization, and create age-friendly environments. ADUs are one form of the built-environment in which the field of public health law can intervene to improve population aging. A legal mapping analysis was conducted using the ADU Friendliness Score to assess ADU accessibility across the target population (n = 351 Massachusetts municipalities). Municipalities were stratified into four ordinal classifications according to their ranking on the 0-100 ADU Friendliness Score and served as the dependent variable: 0-24 POOR (89 municipalities, 25%); 25-49 FAIR (30 municipalities, 8.5%); 50-74 GOOD (185 municipalities, 53%); and 75-100 EXCELLENT (47 municipalities, 13.5%). Community demographics and social capital proxy measures were used as independent variables to test for the association between aggregate social capital and the dependent variable. A regression analysis demonstrated housing density and educational attainment as statistically significant predictors of ADU score. Findings informed the first model age-friendly ADU bylaw inclusive for older adults, persons with disability, and their caregivers. Reform of zoning laws can help create age-friendly environments. The model bylaw is available for municipals to adopt and can be modified in response to municipal needs.

Spatial analysis of social capital and community heterogeneity at the United States county level

Social capital, defined as the resources or benefits received through one's connections with others, contributes to economic efficiency, growth of communities, and population health. In 2006, Rupasingha et al. [1] developed a high-quality, US county-level social capital index based on individuals' participation in associational activities, trust, and civic engagement which is available for years 1990, 1997, 2005, 2009, and 2014. Since their introduction, such measures have been used in many ways, especially to investigate the association between social capital and community heterogeneity. Nevertheless, the non-stationary spatial nature of this relationship has rarely been considered. The purpose of this study was two-fold. (1) Based on the definition outlined by Rupasingha et al., and by using free, publicly available, and reliable data, we generated a 2019 US county-level measure of social capital that can be employed in contemporary studies. (2) We assess local spatial variations of social capital with non-stationary variables via a Geographically Weighted Regression which exhibited substantial improvements in model performance over the Ordinary Least-Squares model. Our findings contribute to literature linking social capital to economic growth of communities, which is essential for creating a sustainable future for business enterprises, communities, and society at large.

Building Bridges and Strengthening Bonds: An Exploratory Investigation Into Social Capital and Youth Programming

Abstract: Background: Social capital is increasingly recognized as a key component of adolescent development, providing important opportunities to grow and strengthen their social networks while increasing access to resources such as jobs and social support. Objectives: This study explored how youth-serving organizations (YSOs) across California address social capital development and assessed need for a social capital curriculum or measurement tools. Methods: The sample for this study was drawn from the 2019 IRS Business Master File from the National Center for Charitable Statistics Data Archive . We contacted a random sample of 169 California YSOs and implemented a 15-item survey to capture organizational perspectives on the importance of social capital, tools to measure this construct, and the use of programming related to social capital. Results: Among 41 YSOs completing the survey, only 24 (59%) had heard of the term "social capital," but when the term was described, 88% felt it was a highly important asset for youth. Thirty YSOs (73%) provided programming designed to promote social capital. Most respondents (68%) said being able to measure social capital would be very important and nearly all said they would be interested in adopting a tested social capital curriculum. Conclusions: Strong interest from YSOs for additional social capital tools highlights the need for additional work in this area. With support, YSOs can connect young people to institutions and influencers significantly outside of normal social circles, thus creating an increasingly sustainable and diverse range of resources available to youth as they navigate life milestones.

Trust, violence, and coca

How does violence affect social capital? I argue that its impact depends on two factors: (i) the ability to identify the perpetrating group, and (ii) the intensity of the violence. These factors help to reconcile the seemingly contradictory effects of violence on social capital presented in the literature. I study this question in the context of Colombia by exploiting changes in violence attributed to cross-border shocks on coca markets in neighboring countries interacted with a novel index of suitability for coca cultivation. This index uses satellite data from ecological conditions for growing coca. I document that violence has a negative effect on social capital measures such as trust, participation in community organizations, and cooperation. Notably, this effect is stronger when it is not possible to identify the enemy. The results are robust to a large number of controls that account for potential confounders. In particular, I show evidence that this effect is not related to the presence of drug cartels in Colombia during the Escobar and Cali era.

The Role of Accounting Measurement and Disclosure of Social Capital in Improving Financial Performance

This research aims to investigate the role of accounting measurement and disclosure of social capital (AMDSC) in improving financial performance (FP) in industrial companies in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq-Sulaimani City (KRG). This study uses SPSS to analyze the questionnaire that was sent to 10 industrial companies operating in the iron sector during 2021. Since there is no financial indicator to measure social capital, but it can be measured through a questionnaire at the individual level, therefore this paper uses a questionnaire for this purpose. The outcomes disclose that AMDSC has a significant effect on improving the FP of industrial companies in KRG. SC has a significant influence on FP as it is approved. Thus, this suggests that SC needs to be considered in the companies’ strategy to secure future financing in this area. This paper is limited to the iron sector of KRG/Sulaimani city. Future studies could address other fields, such as management, for instance, the effect of SC in business management or sharing knowledge. Or financial accounting, for example, the role of SC in improving profitability or liquidity, and so on. This paper focuses on improving financial performance in industrial companies in KRG and Sulaimani City through considering social capital in their companies’ strategies, as there was no concern for SC in KRG before.