The author claims that "social capital makes us smarter, healthier, safer, richer, and better able to govern a just and stable democracy." Wow, all that! Where do we sign up? Here are just a few highlights about why social capital may be the key to all these wonderful qualities:
- Societies can resolve collective problems easier and more efficiently if we're all working together and trusting one another to do our part.
- When we join community groups, especially those composed of people from various backgrounds, we tend to be more aware of the struggles that others face and, therefore, do more to make our community a better place for everyone.
- Most people get their jobs through social connections, so more time spent in the community means more employment opportunities.
- "Mounting evidence" says that social capital helps people deal with trauma and also helps fight physical ills. Social capital may even be a substitute for many of the pills and vitamins that Americans take to feel physically better.
- Only poverty is more harmful to children than a lack of social capital in their lives. Kids who grow up in social capital-rich communities are healthier and drop out of school less. They are even (according to the stats in the book) abused less by parents.
- Small schools have more social capital than large ones. The author suggests that more social capital among these lucky students who attend small schools may lead to less tv watching among the students which, in turn, leads to better grades and a healthier lifestyle. The book mostly studied social capital and children's education. I wondered if the same conclusions could be draw considering adult education and social capital.
- There is more crime and violence in cities with low social capital. According to the book, murder rates are connected more to levels of social capital than education levels. This made me wonder if increasing social capital inside prisons also would create a less violent prison environment.
- Social capital isn't always positive. Gangs are a form of social capital. However, these gangs are often created because there is a lack of healthy social capital elsewhere in young people's lives.
- Social isolation (the opposite of social capital) is "a chronically stressful condition" that actually makes people age faster and die sooner than those who are connected to the community. Moving to a place with high social capital would do as much good as quitting smoking!
For your questions about increasing social capital in schools and if that could apply to adult education, consider that to come to an adult education class the student must get up and away from the TV. Community college classes can be a way to increase social capital--as I've seen from the number of students who have developed friendships in my classroom.
ReplyDeleteI think part of what I like about teaching at the cc level is the social capital (or at least adult socialization) that I get while I'm there.
So someone who won't shake themselves away from the TV is stuck in a rut that makes the problems worse. To make it worse if something dramatic happens and they end up back at school, these are often students who struggle for a while because they haven't learned anything academic for a long time. They are often not invested in lifelong learning so their learning skills are rusty.
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I also wanted to point out that your statement on gangs fits my limited understanding of how they function and why they are attractive to young people.
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I definitely think that helping inmates learn how to develop social capital could have far ranging benefits to them and to society. If you care about someone else, you are unlikely to want to hurt them or their property.
Or so it seems to me, the ultimate rule follower!
Margaret
I agree that in this job climate, it's not what you know it's who you know and if you don't have a great deal of social capital, it could make it more difficult for some to find a job.
ReplyDeleteYour comment about social capital helping people through trauma is also spot on. I have a teenager that's 16 and she participates in Facebook like all her friends. One thing I've noticed about this generation is their total lack of sense during a traumatic situation. For example, last year a boy they knew a grade ahead of them sadly committed suicide. A few of the girls didn't know how to handle their grief and shock except to express it on Facebook and I was surprised at the number of deeply personal posts these kids were putting on the internet. The face to face connections our kids used to participate in daily have been partially replaced with an online environment.
I recently volunteered in my community and I definitely now understand the struggles of some of the local populations in a way that I hadn't ever seen before. I did develop a deepened compassion for my community now that I look back on that experience.
ReplyDeleteI was re-reading this page again and I thought I'm comment about your statement that small schools have more social capital that larger ones and that's true. Smaller schools typically have a smaller operating budget so the employees and parents have to step-up and help out with a variety of tasks. This mindset brings the stakeholders closer together for a common cause--educating children. As far as for adult education, I'm not really sure this is the same thing because the adults are usually motivated for other reasons such as better job, expanding their education horizons, things like that so I'm not convinced the same principle applies.
ReplyDeleteI would think when we join community groups it is more likely going to be filled with individuals from similar backgrounds.
ReplyDeleteWhat great examples you all gave! I feel like we have our own little research study going on here.
ReplyDeleteI thought I was the ultimate rule follower, Margaret! Well, I guess we can share the title. :) But anyway, yes, I agree that the social capital that is formed in adult ed classes is so nice to see. I love seeing friendships form among my students and it's so nice when one friend is released from prison and they still keep in touch with each other person through letters. Sometimes they write to each other weekly. It's really nice and supportive for everyone.
Nancy, I've been shocked in a similar way when I see what people post on Facebook. That's an awfully sad example you have but certainly demonstrates how communicating is changing with the advent of social media. I admit that many people probably find support through postings and reading other people's post. I imagine it's better than not reaching out at all. But, goodness, don't we also need to actually connect with people as real, live people and not through a computer screen! I can only guess that there are all kinds of detrimental side effects from not knowing how to communicate (especially with a really emotional issue) face-to-face. Also, your comment on social capital being greater in smaller schools being, in part, due to smaller operating budgets is something I hadn't thought of, nor was it mentioned in the book. But, indeed, that sounds like a very valid point.
Ah yes, Melissa, that's exactly what the book was talking about. We can't really ever know what it's like to struggle like some people in our communities do, but we REALLY would have no idea at all about such struggles without getting out in the community and seeing it. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess!
Good point, Kelly. Joining community groups that put us in contact only with people of similar mindsets was a big topic in the book. Indeed, that does happen. The book calls this "bonding social capital" because the result is a formation of stronger bonds with similar people. The opposite type of social capital is "bridging social capital." This occurs when we join groups that don't only include similar people. So, we start to form bridges, of sorts, across our differences. The book maintains that bridging social capital is more important than bonding social capital since it expands our community ties rather than just strengthens the ties we already have.
Thanks for all the posts over these weeks! I enjoyed reading all your thoughts.