Principles of Health Behavior Chapter 11

social capital theory essence sentence

behavior is influenced by who we know and how we know them

constructs

networks: the connections or associations we have with other people, and through them, the connections with the people in their networks relationships: the strength of the association with other people

bridging social capital

refers to networks of people who come together as acquaintances they are from different social groups and differ in some sociodemographic sense, be it age, ethnicity, education, or self-esteem people become part of these networks to engage in an activity with mutually beneficial outcomes that are not possible within their bonded relationships ex: sports teams, choirs, people working on a group project, students in a class, tenants in an apt building these relationships may affect health behavior by virtue of a desire to do what the group does, or to be a team player in order to have access to the resources of the group

bonding social capital

refers to those relationships between people who see themselves as being similar in terms of their shared social identity, origin, status, or position in society the network that holds families and groups together social networks facilitate and support bonding between people - this support may directly or indirectly positively or negatively impact health --- impact on self-esteem, exercise, sexual activity, the utilization of health services, or stress levels bonding relationships also influence health more indirectly through their effects on the larger social, economic, political, and environmental determinants of health

theory concept

the concept of social capital refers to the networks, relationships, norms, and trust people need to cooperate with each other, in a reciprocal fashion, for the benefit of all social capital includes the resources (monetary and otherwise) we have available to us by virtue of our connections with others

networks

the connections or associations we have with other people, and through them the connections with the people in their networks however, before network resources can be used or accessed, there must be trust and reciprocity between the members of the social network trust and reciprocity are at the very core of the social capital theory--they lead to the expectations and obligations that come with being part of a particular network networks of social capital may be whole societies, communities, neighborhoods, civic associations, organizations, schools, religious affiliations, or families social capital can also include one's social skills or ability to negotiate and work with others to find solutions to common problems it may refer to styles and forms of leadership, structure of service delivery, and social unity among communities social capital is an umbrella term that takes into account social cohesion (trust and reciprocity), support, and integration or participation in social networks when people feel connected to each other, they develop behaviors and attitudes that benefit themselves ad their society as a whole when people are excluded from a social network and don't have access to its social capital, it can have a negative effect on behavior

theory constructs

the constructs of social capital theory are networks and relationships the extent of our social capital depends on the "richness" of the people we know in terms of their connections and their resources and our relationship with them

realtionships

the more people you know, the more relationships you have, the more connected you are to a variety of others in a number of ways, the more resources you have at your disposal there are three different types of relationships that affect social capital, each defined by the strength of the association between the people who make up the social network - bonding -- strongest relationship - bridging -- moderate relationship - linking -- weakest relationship

in the beginning

the underlying concept of social capital was used in the 1970s to challenge the equal opportunity and affirmative action policies of the 1960s these were based on the belief that if everyone with the same ability is given the same opportunity, they will all rise to their potential and achieve. the argument against this was that affirmative action and equal opportunity ignore the whole social context that influences achievement or success regardless of ability or potential the term social capital was introduced in 1980s and was made up of social obligations or relationships that can be converted into economic capital (money) in certain situations. -- being part of a group gives each individual in the group access to the resources (social capital) of all people in the group and in this way affects behavior social capital, then, is the type and extent of personal and institutional relationships in a community consisting of all the networks, norms, and structures that support interactions between people with access to them communities with high levels of social capital have high levels of civic engagement, social interaction, trust among community members, and social structures that support it, all of which generally hav e appositive effect on health outcomes social capital builds from community characteristics such as historical patterns of mobility or stability of the residents, municipal investment in housing, local infrastructure, services, and policies

linking social capital

the weakest social capital relationships we have norms of respect and networks of trusting relationships, but they are between people who interact across power or authority gradients representing formal institutions relationships between teacher and student, police office and crime victim, or physician and patient linking social capital takes on much grater importance in economically disadvantaged communities, where th relationships between people in positions of power with greater social capital and those with lesser of both must be built on trust and mutual respect in order for health needs to be met and outcomes to improve lack of social capital = little trust between individuals and institutions)