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Is there a place for social capital in the psychology of health and place?
Abstract
The field of environmental psychology is primely placed to further understanding of the way in which social capital influences or is influenced by the context and characteristics of neighbourhood environments, but has been one of the quieter voices in the cacophony of social capital discourse over the last decade. While there is increasing research interest in area and neighbourhood variations in social capital, the mechanisms and causal pathways through which physical environments, social capital and health may be related are not yet clear. More refined unpacking of the relationship between social capital and neighbourhood design, features and settings is required to identify practical intervention points for preserving, fostering and harnessing social capital within communities. Through a review of literature, this paper explores whether there is a place for social capital in the psychology of place and considers the contribution that environmental psychology and related disciplines could make to future social capital research and applications.
... Five literature reviews had specific focuses similar to this research topic; however, with slight variations. For example, a topic comprised the relationship between the built environment and social capital [29], the relationship of urban design to human health [38], the relationship between resilience and urban design [26], an analysis of theoretical urban neighbourhood concepts with social capital [27], and the relationship between social capital and the psychology of health and place [61]. ...
... Jane Jacobs' concepts were predominant in calling attention to the relationship between social capital and urban design through four key areas: her focus on the dynamic and complex nature of cities and neighbourhoods [50,52]; the importance of design to enable informal interactions and "mutual support" [30,37,38,40,42,49,50,61,63]; her activism against sprawl and large infrastructure [37,43]; and the importance of the quality of the public realm, not just its existence [42]. Ref. [42] demonstrated this idea from Jacobs in their results that the "mere provision of community spaces and amenities does not guarantee use". ...
... Refs. [50,56] recognised the two movements, whereas 10 other studies referenced the New Urbanist movement only [29,33,40,42,48,49,55,59,61,64]. Five articles found there are conflicting results that New Urbanism/neo-traditional neighbourhood design can promote social capital [29,38,40,42,55]. ...
The aim of this article is to explore the relationship between urban design and social capital in the existing literature. Through a systematic quantitative literature review (SQLR) approach, this study seeks to offer insights into this relationship, investigating trends and gaps. The review revealed that the relationship is complex and not well defined. It emphasised a consistency across the literature of references to the key historical figures and movements. Two major themes emerged as key topics of interest in the reviewed literature: the built environment outcomes and community participation. The research also revealed that the relationship between urban design and social capital is underexplored, with a lack of contemporary relevant references contributing to this topic. This deficiency results in a body of academic literature that does not fully address or reflect current industry practices and innovations. The review concludes that there is a need to shift focus globally. We need to incorporate multicultural references and case studies to learn from diverse contexts as well as multi-level collaborations between the designer and community to prepare for the different challenges that communities are currently grappling with.
... Feelings of gratitude have been shown to influence an employee's AWB via several ways as it has been considered as an excellent resource to assist in individual coping and the reduction of stress (Chen et al., 2012;Toussaint and Friedman, 2009). Firstly, gratitude has been found to increase the extent to which an individual perceives what they receive from friends and colleagues in the workplace (Wood and Giles-Corti, 2008), by building and strengthening social bonds (Fredrickson, 2004). Thus, such perceived and actual support may help millennial employees to lessen the stressful psychological events in the workplace (Wood and Giles-Corti, 2008), thereby leading to increased levels of well-being and happiness. ...
... Firstly, gratitude has been found to increase the extent to which an individual perceives what they receive from friends and colleagues in the workplace (Wood and Giles-Corti, 2008), by building and strengthening social bonds (Fredrickson, 2004). Thus, such perceived and actual support may help millennial employees to lessen the stressful psychological events in the workplace (Wood and Giles-Corti, 2008), thereby leading to increased levels of well-being and happiness. Secondly, dispositional traits such as gratitude can positively shape not only one's emotions but also their cognitions and behaviours (Rosenberg, 1998). ...
... Secondly, dispositional traits such as gratitude can positively shape not only one's emotions but also their cognitions and behaviours (Rosenberg, 1998). Specifically, individuals with high levels of gratitude may be more likely to positively reframe situations and experiences (Wood and Giles-Corti, 2008). Therefore, grateful millennial employees may be more likely to view negative experiences in the workplace as a positive means such as an opportunity to learn new skills or develop their personal knowledge (Chen et al., 2012;Wood et al., 2007). ...
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between gratitude and workplace friendship with affective well-being (AWB) at work amongst millennial employees. Specifically, it details the mediating effect of workplace friendship in explaining the linkages between gratitude and AWB at work.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a sample of 272 millennial workers in this study. A survey invitation was sent out to all of the respondents through email. A 20-item job-related AWB (Van Katwyk et al., 2000) scale was used to measure AWB. Workplace friendship was measured using six-items of the workplace friendship scale (Nielsen et al., 2000) and gratitude was measured using McCullough et al.’s (2002) six-item gratitude questionnaire (GQ-6).
Findings
The study found that gratitude and workplace friendship enhanced workplace AWB among millennial workers. Workplace friendship functioned as a mediator, which delivered the effect from gratitude towards workplace AWB. Gratitude was found to positively predict workplace friendship and subsequently workplace friendship positively predicted workplace AWB.
Practical implications
Nurturing positive feelings at work through excellent psychosocial resources and healthy work friendships would improve millennial workers well-being. Henceforth, encouraging millennial employees to cultivate workplace friendships, can help the manager to enhance millennial employees’ feeling of belongingness, and thus, promote better AWB.
Originality/value
Investment on employee’s human capital and values can be valuable resources to increase millennial employees’ performance at work. Millennial workers are a unique generation that put emphasis on the subjective experience. Hence, capitalising on their subjective experience can be one of the keys to better increase their well-being and performance at work.
... Moreover, the new discourse of social capital needs new built environmental and urban neighborhoods design concepts to ensure community solidarity and cohesion, which in turn promote public health (McCamant and Durrett, 2011). More research is needed to identify practical intervention point for preserving and fostering social capital within the communities (Wood and Corti, 2008). ...
... Neighborhood design and aesthetics influence people's involvement, trust and relationships with others and their community. While social capital can foster, enhance or destroy the neighborhood context (Wood and Corti, 2008). However, the influences of neighborhood design on people's experience still complex and not well defined in research (Anthony and Nicotera, 2008). ...
... The impact of physical design on emotions Wood and Corti (2008) Is there a place for social capital? ...
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review, analyze and synthesize different pieces from literature to explore, define and describe the concept of social capital and its relationships with urban neighborhood design concepts. Additionally, to define the indicators and principles that can enhance social capital within urban design context. Moreover, to suggest theoretical urban neighborhood design concept that can adopt the changing discourse of social capital.
Design/methodology/approach
This research used the theoretical, analytical and descriptive approach-driven case study method. In all, 29 papers were analyzed to conclude the indicators that can measure social capital within the urban neighborhood design context and to conclude the required neighborhood design features and principles that influence social capital. Additionally, two new urban neighborhoods design concepts, cohousing and hybrid concepts that adopt new forms of social interaction, were studied, analyzed and then synthesized to suggest new neighborhood design concept, which is a heterotopia concept.
Findings
Heterotopia neighborhood concept aims to create real, different and heterogeneous functional spaces with different layers of meanings for people from different cultures in one place. Different visible enclosures are merged into spaces of otherness while the diversity gives a sense of entering another alternative place. The heterotopias neighborhood design principles aim to create a wide variety of forms, shapes and elements [different new spaces for different ritual activities to reflect the otherness self-reflection (homogeneous and scattered spaces)] and create linkage, hierarchy, contrast and mingling between spaces and places; well-defined functional effective spaces; different fantasy and leisure spaces; high standard quality of life and otherness space; flux in social realm and fluidity of spaces; mixed use and joint experience; and innovated technologies spaces to offer strange new temporalities.
Research limitations/implications
This research recommended that different community stakeholders should participate in planning process, neighborhood urban design and decision-making process about public spaces to strengthen the community ties and achieve a heterotopia concept. Architect, urban designers and planners should adopt bottom-up design approach when designing neighborhood. Additionally, to avoid poor social capital research studies, the new researchers, practitioners and journal reviewers approaching social capital for the first time must read widely to gain an understanding of the concept from different perspectives and narrow their scope to their particular area of interest.
Practical implications
This research highlights the needs for empirical studies to examine the relationships/interrelationships between all neighborhood design principles and social capital. This might increase the knowledge on how we can design and increase the quality of neighborhood to foster social capital, which might offer interesting insights into how neighborhood urban design principles are combined to foster social capital within neighborhood context.
Originality/value
Neighborhood-based research encourages new suggesting concepts in designing every single place in the residential neighborhood in a way that can adapt the new forms of social interaction. This research scanned the current concepts of neighborhood design that concerned successfully with the changing forms of social relationships to conclude some design features and principles for neighborhood design to ensure and promote social public health and well-being. This research offers a unique perspective for better understanding the relationships between the neighborhood urban design as a spatial dimension and social capital. This research aims to enrich the socio-spatial knowledge and build a resilient urban community by suggesting theoretical urban neighborhood design concept, which is the heterotopia concept, and providing the urban designers and architects with a valuable thinking tool to design spaces.
... While the direct effects of social connection on physical health receive considerable attention (Cohen, Inagami, & Finch, 2008;Murayama, Fujiwara, & Kawachi, 2012;Wood & Giles-Corti, 2008), there is also significant evidence that social connection or social capital may buffer the effect of risk on health. Positive relations between parent and child can buffer the effects of childhood poverty on children's physical health (Chen & Miller, 2013;Evans & Kim, 2013). ...
... Nearby nature has also been linked to social capital-i.e., the resources that are embedded within a social network or "…the stock of active connections among people: the trust, understanding and shared values that bind … networks and com-munities…" (Cohen & Prusak, 2001, p. 4). Greenery has been identified among the neighborhood elements associated with social capital (Wood & Giles-Corti, 2008). Neighborhood tree canopy (Holtan, Dieterlen, & Sullivan, 2015), community gardening (Alaimo, Reischl, & Allen, 2010), parks (Cohen et al., 2008) and green space (Broyles, Mowen, Theall, Gustat, & Rung, 2011) have all been linked to social capital or collective efficacy 2 . ...
What role might the natural environment play in resilience? Remarkably, there has been little connection between the nature-health research and resilience research and theory. In this chapter, I first suggest that nature ought to figure more centrally within human resilience literature and frameworks. This chapter aims to bridge the divide between literatures by considering the evidence that nature may be a resilience factor that can moderate the impact of risk or adversity on health and functioning. Second, I argue that due to a preoccupation with the direct effects of nature on health, the role of the natural environment as a moderator of the relation between risk factors or adversity and health outcomes is under-appreciated and under-explored. Acting as a moderator or buffer, nearby nature or green space may have the potential to attenuate the relation between risk and health, to dampen negative health outcomes among vulnerable populations and ultimately, thereby, to reduce health disparities. Four outcomes are examined: mental health, physical health, birth weight, and academic achievement. For each of these outcomes, I consider: the impact of risk and adversity, including poverty; evidence of nature’s moderating effect; and plausible explanatory pathways (i.e., mediated moderation), with a focus on executive functioning and social connection. I then briefly consider access to nature as an environmental justice issue. Is it the case that while nature may have the potential to mitigate health disparities, those most in need have the least access? I close with implications for future research.
... Rather, objects are agents in Sheddies' social interactions and help stage and shape Sheddies' patterns of relationship-building. The objects that have been brought into and positioned within the Shed have an ongoing influence on the social interaction that takes place there (Wood and Giles-Corti, 2008), which is rendered visible through action (Gaver, 1996). In the context of coping with identity and embodied disruption, such consumptive practices help men to escape adversity, imaginatively and concretely (Hodgetts et al., 2010). ...
... These men make use of the Shed space, and the social relationships that take form there, in order to respond positively to challenges associated with ageing. The physical environment of the Shed plays an important role in promoting the wellbeing of this group of older men (O'Dwyer et al., 2007;Putland, 2008), especially in enabling social interaction that facilitates positive, affirming, and equalising experiences (Hansji et al., 2014;Wood and Giles-Corti, 2008), and a sense of collective ownership of the Shed (Nowell et al., 2006). In particular, the Shed is set up in a way that encourages material cooperation and collaborative social interaction over projects, which further cements Sheddies' social inclusion and participation. ...
Transitions into retirement can be difficult at the best of times. Many men find themselves having to reflect on who they are and what their lives are about. Their access to social supports and material resources are often disrupted. Men's Sheds offer a space where retired men can actively pursue wellbeing, and respond to disruption and loneliness through emplaced community practices. This paper draws on ethnographic research in a Men's Shed in Auckland, New Zealand in order to explore the social practices through which men create a shared space for themselves in which they can engage in meaningful relationships with each other. We document how participants work in concert to create a space in which they can be together through collective labour. Their emplacement in the shed affords opportunities for supported transitions into retirement and for engaging healthy lives beyond paid employment.
... One is that researchers tend to pay more attention to the utility, rather than the determinants, of social capital (Hanibuchi et al., 2012). While some studies have attempted to fill this gap (Kaasa and Parts, 2008;Wood and Giles-Corti, 2008), the existent literature is heavily focused on the sociodemographic determinants at the individual level, such as education, marital status, and income (Huang et al., 2009;Kaasa and Parts, 2008). As such, the role of exposure to discrimination in developing social capital remains underexplored. ...
... Moving beyond the individual determinants, it has been suggested that social capital should also be a function of neighborhood characteristics (Wood and Giles-Corti, 2008). However, research on this area is still in the early stages and the evidence has been inconclusive. ...
Though the adverse consequences of perceived housing discrimination have been documented, little is known about whether such experience undermines one's social capital in a neighborhood and even less is about whether and how this relationship is altered by neighborhood features. We proposed a framework that simultaneously considers within-individual and between-neighborhood processes. We applied multilevel structural equation models to data from Philadelphia (n = 9987) and found that (a) perceived housing discrimination was negatively associated with one's social capital even after other confounders were considered, (b) this negative association could be partly explained by the proliferated daily stress and anxiety mechanisms, (c) differential exposures to neighborhood social disadvantage accounted for the variation in social capital across neighborhoods, and (d) the adverse association between perceived housing discrimination and social capital could be attenuated by neighborhood stability. The findings suggested that appropriate interventions should buffer the negative association of perceived housing discrimination with social capital.
... Yet the discussion of spatial effects on social capital remains limited with few explorations of the role of geography in shaping access to and quality of social capital resources. Wood and Giles-Corti (2008) argue "the focus in the literature is still primarily on geographic comparisons of social capital and there is only limited elucidation of the specific pathways through which aspects of the physical environment and social capital may be related" (p. 156). ...
... Analysis of perceived neighborhood boundaries among low-income residents of public housing communities demonstrated the extent to which those with limited access to transportation incorporate areas of commerce and public services into their "neighborhood" despite the geographic distance (Author 2015). Research has demonstrated that social capital has a negative relationship with the number of nearby destinations, but a positive association with perceived proximity to shops (Wood and Giles-Corti 2008). This evidence complicates understandings of how social spaces and geographic places coalesce to form the social capital context. ...
This study tests the importance of spatial distance from social capital resources for the number of resources accessed. We examine the relationship between the distance to work, religious congregations, and organizations on the level of social capital. Theory posits that increased time spent commuting decreases social capital; we posit that increased distance traveled to sites of social capital generation limits neighborhood social capital but increases capital access at generation sites. We measured social capital with the Resource Generator–United States and used negative binomial regression to estimate the association between distance and number of resources accessed. Social capital resource access is higher with increased distance traveled to civic organizations. Distance from work and religious congregations does not affect social capital; distance to work erodes neighborhood social capital. These findings are counter to current theory and suggest that people are willing to travel to organizations where social capital is built.
... La formación de vínculos sociales locales y la cohesión social a escala barrial también es influenciada por el apego al lugar y las relaciones locales que en él se construyen (Wood & Giles-Corti, 2008;Mount & Cabras, 2015;Wickes et al., 2018;Otero et al., 2021;. En este sentido, se distinguen dimensiones prácticas y simbólicas de la cohesión social vecinal, donde las primeras están asociadas a comunidades locales de vínculos fuertes y prácticas cotidianas, mientras que la segunda tiene relación con la reputación, privilegio y elección residencial (Méndez et al., 2020). ...
A partir del estudio de caso realizado sobre el barrio Michaihue, cuyo origen se produce por viviendas sociales progresivas en extensión y otras en altura, analizamos la posible incidencia que la tipología arquitectónica puede tener en la percepción declarada de preferencia y predilección barrial, entendiendo estos elementos como una base positiva para la generación de vínculos sociales vecinales. Metodológicamente, analizamos y contrastamos las respuestas de un CENSO de viviendas y hogares, además de un levantamiento de redes personales aplicado a vecinos propietarios de ambas tipologías. Nuestros hallazgos demuestran que, a igual contexto urbano y atributos individuales, la tipología habitacional marca diferencias al momento de expresar preferencia por vivir en su barrio y si optaría por quedarse o no en él. Sin embargo, la evidencia no nos permite afirmar si esto afectaría las dinámicas de producción de vínculos sociales vecinales. Finalmente, exponemos que una tipología arquitectónica “progresiva”, es decir, que permite la participación del propietario en su modificación-expansión, da mejores condiciones para una positiva percepción del barrio, lo que por sí solo no necesariamente altera las dinámicas de creación y rubrica de redes sociales vecinales.Palabras clave:vivienda progresiva, apego barrial, redes sociales vecinales
... Research on public health is one such field, which focused on positive effects of social capital on people in local communities from the start and has since been increasing based on quantitative data (Moore & Kawachi, 2017;Shiell et al., 2020). However, associations between social capital and man-made infrastructure or 'built environment,' such as local facilities, walkways, and greenery, have been investigated by a limited number of studies (see review by Mazumdar et al., 2018), though neighborhood physical environment seems to be an important factor in discussions on social capital (Wood & Giles-Corti, 2008). ...
Recent studies demonstrated associations between physical environment (especially greenery) and people’s health, well-being, and crime rate by using street-level imagery as ‘big data’ and automated image recognition methods. However, few prior studies focused on interrelations between physical environment and residents’ social relationships. This study investigated associations between physical environments and psychological tendencies of neighboring communities in Japan by using a mail survey and Google Street View images. The mail survey was collected from 156 regions across eight prefectures in western Japan. Google Street View images of these regions were collected and classified by machine learning models and human observers. The results indicated mainly negative correlations between the survey items related to feelings towards participants’ neighbors such as social capital and the rate of outdoor gardening by region. Additionally, these correlation patterns differed by type of community, namely, fishing, farming, and other types of communities.
... The micro-social level reflects the social network within the individual, mediating macro-level influences [69]. The field of environmental psychology generally analyses the micro-social level impact [77]. Research on the micro-level has mostly focused on the mechanisms and causal pathways through which social capital, physical environment, Land 2022, 11, 1202 9 of 27 place attachment, and informal ties may be related [78,79]. ...
In the new era of sustainable urban development, neighbourhood renewal has received increasing attention. Social capital, which can be defined as the value embedded in the relationship between residents, plays a significant role in the process of neighbourhood renewal. However, within the current neighbourhood renewal knowledge domain, there is a lack of clear and systematic understanding of the various components that make up social capital, how they are formed, and how they impact neighbourhood renewal. With the rise in neighbourhood renewal projects worldwide, it has become increasingly important to facilitate better knowledge in this area. To this end, this study focuses on filling this knowledge gap. First, based on the review of 84 journal papers related to social capital in neighbourhood renewal, a research framework is developed for analysing social capital in the context of neighbour renewal. Using this framework as a lens, a critical review of the literature is then conducted. Finally, through an in-depth discussion, this study presents the main concepts of social capital, its formulation and its association with neighbourhood renewal. This review paper can be used as an important reference for researchers globally interested in the topic of social capital in neighbourhood renewal.
... The spatial configuration correlates to the position of elements forming spaces. In similar vein, the micro-spatial level is more investigate the relationship between people and specific elements [12]. Traditional neighborhood is composed by elements and pattern that interact with the community daily life [13]. ...
... As spheres of sociability (e.g., sidewalks, parks) become sources of social capital and residents are encouraged to use such spaces, indirect benefits of neighborhood social capital can manifest as higher levels of physical activity and better physical and mental health (Lindström, 2011;Mowen & Rung, 2016). For all of these reasons, understanding how social and environmental factors, including the physical form of an urban community, are associated with neighborhood social capital is important-especially within historically marginalized populations (Cattell, 2001;Holtan et al., 2015;Wood & Giles-Corti, 2008). ...
Neighborhood built environment features, including parks, may contribute to social capital, but these relationships have not been adequately explored in communities of color. Our study focused on a specific subset of this population—a national sample of diverse, low-income parents with young children (n = 1,611)—to assess relationships between social capital, parks (e.g., access, visit frequency, and satisfaction), and other aspects of the built environment (e.g., perceptions of neighborhood walkability, traffic, and crime). We found that park satisfaction (a measure of park quality) was strongly linked to social capital among low-income parents, but park use frequency and access (both related to park quantity) were not. Neighborhood walkability and safety from crime were also strong positive correlates of social capital. Despite social benefits of parks, moderate to low ratings of park satisfaction, neighborhood walkability, safety from crime, and social capital within our sample suggest that inequities in park and neighborhood quality may prevent families who might benefit the most from social capital (i.e., low-income minority populations) from enjoying key resources needed to cultivate it. Cities hoping to enhance social capital in vulnerable communities would be wise to invest in quality parks and built environment features that create opportunities for positive social interactions among low-income parents with young children.
... Desaadat and banjaradat play an important role in the life of each community member which is based on agreement and shared values, including social capital of the community. Lisa Wood [25]summarized that social capital is often characterized as the glue that holds society together, with core aspects: networks, norms, and trust, mutual goals/actions. These traditional forms maintain social capital and organize and facilitate the dynamic activities of the community all of which have spatialimplications. ...
An ethnographic study using qualitative research methodology underwrites the following study. Withinthe current urban planning practice, the concept of public space exists in contradiction to private ownership. Within the global capitalist system, land is commodified like any other goodand is subject to ownership via the market mechanism. The endgame is for all land to have this status. In this context, there isbusiness. This paper, however, offers to renege on this perspective. It tries to understand public space within a system where use-value is the dominant concept. Taking Bali as its laboratory, this paper examines a hypothetical typology of public space that brings use values to the fore and denies the primacy of land as solely a profit-seeking medium for land rent, surplus value extraction from labor and profit on built form. While no doubt these processes will still take place, they must be assessed in the context of environmental ethics and fundamental human needs. In conclusion, this paper seeks a benevolent and humane planning practice that places people before profits. It implements this idea by saying that the creation of spaces whose use values can be accessed by all members of society must become the central planning strategy.
... On the other hand, lack of positive physical evidence cues may increase residents' propensity to move, resulting in a vicious cycle of abandonment and vacancy. (Wood, L., & Giles-Corti, B., 2008) This study investigates how physical cues of neighboring residential properties might be related to care of occupied properties in two highly vacant neighborhoods of Detroit, MI, USA. ...
While many studies have investigated proximity effects of greening, we know of no previous study that has employed a cadastral measure to examine proximity effects for urban residential landscapes. Cadastral refers to property boundaries, which is a different way to measure proximity compared with Euclidean measures, which are typically used. We assumed that each residential property would be managed homogeneously for cues to care (Nassauer, 2011) in visible front and side yards, and that consequently, measurement units delineated by residential properties boundaries would be more valid than units defined by Euclidean distance for measuring heterogeneity in landscape care. We investigated whether cadastral locations for surrounding residential properties significantly affect care for occupied residential parcels in two neighborhoods of Detroit, MI, USA, that are characterized by high levels of vacancy and abandonment of residential property. We used data describing cues to care for 8967 residential parcels information in the Brightmoor and Eastside neighborhoods. These data were collected by inspection of Google Street images checked by field inspection in summer 2011. We tested the relationship between each occupied parcel’s front yard cues to care and its surrounding parcels’ occupancy and care characteristics at eight cadastral locations. We describe these cadastral locations in Fig. 1. We hypothesized that for all surrounding parcels’ characteristics, cadastral locations that were adjacent, face-face and rook-face locations relative to the case parcels would influence the care of case parcels, and that adjacent parcels would have the greatest influence on care of case parcels. We hypothesized that back-back parcels and rook-back parcels, in contrast, would have no significant relationship with care of the case parcels, despite having similar Euclidean distances from the case parcels. Considering different care characteristics of surrounding parcels, we hypothesized that positive care of surrounding parcels would more powerfully affect cues to care of case parcels than would abandoned houses or vacant land on surrounding parcels (Table 2). We further hypothesized that, compared with vacant land, abandoned houses on surrounding parcels would have a stronger negative effect on care of case parcels. Results show that cadastral measures are an important way to analyze and interpret the influence of people’s behavior to cities’ appearance, and the results may guide city planners and policy makers to find a more effective way to revitalize high-vacancy city areas.
... Addressing the issue of pet retention is important due to the positive role pets play in communities [11,12]. Numerous studies have shown that companion animals can contribute to both human physical [13][14][15][16][17] and psychosocial health [18][19][20][21][22]. On a larger scale, companion animals can help enhance community cohesion and social capital by facilitating social interaction, friendships, support networks, and civic engagement [23,24], and pet ownership has been shown to positively contribute to local economies [25][26][27]. Research by the American Humane Association (AHA) identified pet homelessness as a complex issue that is impacted by overpopulation of unhoused pets as well as inadequate and misdirected resources to care for companion animals in communities [4]. ...
Although the adoption rate of dogs and cats from animal shelters has increased, a proportion of animals are returned to the shelter after they are adopted. The purpose of this study was to assess the factors informing the return of 102 dogs to an animal shelter over a four-month period, and the return of 72 cats to an animal shelter over a three-month period. Descriptive statistics revealed dogs are most commonly returned for behavior issues related to aggression (38.2%), and cats are most commonly returned due to the adopter's personal reasons (56.9%). The results also indicated that more than half of the dogs (51.0%) and cats (57.0%) returned in this study were owned for more than 60 days. Further research is needed to compare the effectiveness of different pet retention programs in addressing the factors that inform returned adoptions.
... Place is a construct that is simultaneously physical and social: It occupies a material space but is also a social construct when considering place-making processes, such as developing a relationship with or feeling attached to a space (Crooks et al., 2018). SC and place are closely related (Lewicka, 2011;Subramanian et al., 2003), and SC varies from place to place (Wood and Giles-Corti, 2008). Place attachment, which is generally understood as having an emotional bond to a specific place, is related to high levels of social cohesion within communities (Bambra, 2018), and increased place attachment results in higher civic engagement and social trust in communities (Stefaniak et al., 2017). ...
This study collaborated with the “Neighbourhoods in Solidarity” (NS) action research intervention to understand place, social capital, and mental health for older adults in one Swiss town. It used a longitudinal mixed-methods design, combing a pre/post survey with ethnographic observations. It found that place was a recurring theme throughout the NS intervention and how the NS were able to build social capital. Older adults who participated in the NS experienced an increase in structural social capital, but many participants already had high levels of structural social capital before the intervention. Participants did not experience a significant change in cognitive social capital, but this may have been due to a general decline in cognitive social capital in the area. Neither changes in cognitive nor structural social capital predicted depressive symptoms after one year.
... Articulating a new spatial resource defined as a social capital area (see ''Social capital area'' section), we add a new measure of SC that overcomes these identified spatial limitations and allows new types of analysis. In turn, this approach highlights the role that space, place, and geography play in shaping individual interactions (Lager et al. 2015;Naughton 2014), diverging from the current research focus on geographic comparisons of social capital (Wood and Giles-Corti 2008). The contextual and dynamic nature of SC calls for new strategies to frame the relevance of social spaces and the physical environment in the processes of SC creation, maintenance, and capitalization. ...
Broad academic interest in measuring social relationships within an urban context has grown over recent decades. Significant research attention is focused on where social synergies occur in urban areas, yet the nature and role of urban spatial structure within social interactions is rarely considered. Drawing on existing classifications of social capital (i.e., bonding and bridging), this exploratory research examines their distribution and characterization using spatial data collected through a WebGIS platform. We (1) assess the spatial relationship between bridging and bonding social capital, and (2) analyze the degree of bonding and bridging social capital based on the underlying structure of the urban context, participant socio-demographic characteristics, and local administrative boundaries. Findings from this research show that the degree of both bonding and bridging social capital is shaped by individual socio-demographic characteristics and administrative boundaries (i.e., parishes), while amenity type and location are not significant in the characterization of bonding and bridging social capital. This research presents a new approach to the spatial study of social concepts, mobilizing spatial and individual factors that influence the degrees of bonding and bridging social capital.
... The context of the local, neighbourhood community is where social capital can be fostered or destroyed and where norms of reciprocity, social participation, support and trust can be experienced (Wood and Giles-Corti 2008). Neighbourhoods can act as 'containers' of certain social processes, while also be active contributors and generate social processes within that same place. ...
This paper emphasises the important role that place has in determining how religious social processes operate and impact on health and wellbeing. It draws upon evidence through qualitative in-depth interviews with families (both parents and children) living in two deprived neighbourhoods in Malta, a ‘traditional’ and a ‘modern’ one. It emerged that religious faith and practices can generate normative and resource-based social capital which can positively impact on health and wellbeing. However, some individuals found this social capital constraining and this had detrimental effects on their wellbeing. The context, composition, history and norms of the place emerge as highly important. This study emphasises that religious social processes operate in a highly complex manner, and ‘adherents’ and ‘disaffiliates’ are likely to enjoy positive or negative health and wellbeing according to where they live and according to important persons living in the neighbourhood such as the parish priest. This study contributes to the research gap between religion, social capital and health and the complex, social processes that operate at the local level of place.
... Clearly, people derive part of the representation they have of themselves from the places in which they live. Moreover, there is an undeniable connection between people's physical, mental and social well-being and their perception of living in places seen in a positive light, in addition to being viewed positively on a social level [41]. ...
With the aim of promoting biological, social and psychological well-being, a multi-institutional and multidisciplinary action-research process was developed for the regeneration of a large residential complex in Rome, Italy. A methodology with a community-based approach was adopted in a context where spatial segregation is intertwined with health and social inequalities. Methods: Through qualitative-quantitative analysis involving the active participation of the local population and institutions in every stage, an integrated survey model was developed in order to create proper communication between the needs of the population and sustainable solutions. Results: the implemented process allowed for clear planning of actions and interventions that could be economically sustainable through the structuring and development of a local network. Conclusions: the process involving the participation of the population in the analysis of their own problems and difficulties, as well as in the development of possible interventions and actions to be proposed, appears to be the only adequate approach that allows for the definition of mutual objectives based on the real needs of the end users.
... We place an emphasis on official and informal places to meet, as these places provide opportunities for social encounter and dwelling time, which are key to the formation of social capital within common public open spaces. Empirical research suggests that neighborhood design and meeting opportunities influence the formation of trust and social relationships (Mount and Cabras, 2015;Wood and Giles-Corti, 2008). This leads to the following hypothesis: ...
This paper analyzes the relationship between the urban form of neighborhoods and collective bottom-up adaptation processes. The adaptive capacity of urban populations in marginal settlements of the Global South is critically related to social capital, as manifested through social networks, self-organization, and collective action. We analyze these responses and hypothesize that they are significantly shaped by the specific spatial forms of neighborhoods, particularly in the presence and form of places to meet. Drawing on mix-method research, we investigate socio-spatial practices and collective responses to hazards in coastal neighborhoods of Jakarta, including a standardized household survey (n = 300) and cultural mapping. Our findings demonstrate that social capital is key to community-based hazard responses. Importantly, the presence of different types of public meeting places enhances different forms of social networks due to highly diversified locations and user groups. We found that North Jakarta's urban form facilitates bonding social capital, which enables the formation of 'responsive neighborhoods' capable of responding on mid-term scales. Meeting places in neighborhood centers foster bonding ties, which, together with attachment to place and social belonging, appear to be key local assets for dealing with natural hazards e.g. by creating informal 'insurance systems'. However, there is insufficient evidence to suggest that the current urban form of North Jakarta supports the formation of 'adaptive neigh-borhoods' in the long-term, which would require bridging and linking ties to the outside world. Our findings suggest that a spatial perspective on collective hazard response action is important for urban planning strategies to empower local communities.
... Hence, positive experiences in UGS can improve life satisfaction through satisfaction in the leisure domain [71][72][73]. Numerous prior studies have shown that visiting UGS can increase satisfaction not only in the leisure domain but also in other domains, such as mental health (e.g., [4][5][6]9,72]), physical health (e.g., [1][2][3]74]), social life (e.g., [23,[29][30][31][32][33][34][35][75][76][77][78][79][80]), and family [58,81,82]. Prior studies strongly suggest that UGS is critical infrastructure for sustaining the well-being of urban residents and that expanding UGS and management are valuable investments on individual, social, and national levels. ...
Exposure to green spaces can reduce the negative effects of stress. This study examines how frequency of visits and time spent in urban green spaces (UGS) affect urban dwellers’ subjective well-being. We also investigated the numbers of respondents visiting UGS, their primary motivation, and constraints on their ability to visit. Using quota sampling, an online survey was conducted of 400 residents of Daejeon City, South Korea. ANOVA results indicated no significant interactions between visit frequency and time spent in UGS. Respondents who had visited UGS within the past two weeks expressed higher positive and lower negative emotions than did non-visitors, regardless of visit frequency, and regular visitors showed higher general life satisfaction levels. These positive effects were confirmed by estimated structural equation models. However, the time spent in UGS did not affect emotions or life satisfaction in general. Heavy users mostly visited UGS to walk, and light/non-users cited the lack of urban green spaces near their home as the major constraint on visiting UGS. The estimated structural equation models clearly show positive effects from motivation and negative effects of constraints and access time to UGS on visit frequency. To improve urban dwellers’ subjective well-being, UGS should prioritize good walking environments and accessibility.
... For example, more walkable neighbourhoods have been found to increase neighbourhood social interaction because people are more likely to walk, cycle and linger in these environments (Leyden, 2003). One implication of neighbourhood social interaction is better social capital (Wood and Giles-Corti, 2008). In particular, the presence of more children 'out and about' in neighbourhoods may help create stronger local communities by encouraging feelings of safety, trust and communality (Tranter and Whitelegg, 1994;Wood et al. , 2013). ...
... The conceptual foundation of this study is derived from the fact that people's physical and social activities are influenced by the physical environment of their neighborhood, based on the social ecological model (Canter 1977;Sallis et al. 2006;Wood and Giles-Corti 2008). Therefore, this section is organized as follows: first we review the literature regarding the association between environmental factors (i.e., neighborhood walkability) and recreational wellbeing, followed by a discussion of the relationship between community attributes (i.e., neighborhood safety and appearance) and recreational wellbeing, and, finally, relationships between recreational wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and individuals' psychological health (i.e., happiness and life satisfaction). ...
The physical environment in which individuals live has important implications for their access to resources and services. The a model for managing weight stigma and creating body-inclusive spaces. current study examined the role of several features of neighborhoods, such as perceived walkability and neighborhood appearance, in promoting recreational wellbeing, and resulting in impacts on physical wellbeing, happiness, and life satisfaction of residents. Survey responses (N = 1392) were collected in two distinct geographical areas and, using structural equation modeling, relationships between neighborhood physical environments and resident outcomes were explored. Results indicated perceived walkability (access to services) and neighborhood appearance (upkeep and attractiveness) played a significant role in increasing recreational wellbeing. Also, recreational wellbeing was positively related to individuals’ physical wellbeing. Lastly, physical wellbeing was positively associated with happiness and life satisfaction. Together, these findings suggest community planners could use several practical neighborhood improvements to improve the overall health, happiness, and life satisfaction of their residents. © 2018 Springer Science+Business Media B.V., part of Springer Nature and The International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS)
... According to our results, the common origin of most inhabitants in the areas with high NSC, established in 1965 and occupied by migrants from rural areas of Spain employed mainly as industrial workers, could have facilitated social organization and identification within the neighborhoods. Having neighbors with similar SES and common origin, social engagement and sense of community are factors related to higher NSC [44]. Furthermore, when networks of social capital have been built, newcomers have a need to become part of them, which could explain the permanence of social capital over years [45]. ...
Purpose:
The aim of the present study is to analyze the role of age in the association between socio-economic status (SES) and loneliness as well as the role of neighborhood social capital (NSC) in the association between individual social capital and loneliness.
Methods:
Data include a representative population-based sample from Sant Boi de Llobregat (a suburb of Barcelona) of 1124 adults aged 50 and over. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the survey data. Interactions between SES and age, and NSC and individual social capital were explored.
Results:
Among the poorest older adults, older individuals showed a lower likelihood of loneliness (OR 0.09, 95% CI 0.02, 0.30, p < 0.05) compared with the youngest cohort after adjusting for covariates, while among the richest individuals there were no significant differences among age cohorts. Individuals living in an area with high NSC and high individual social capital showed a lower likelihood of loneliness (OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.17, 0.73, p < 0.05) compared with those with low individual social capital after adjusting for covariates. The effect of individual social capital was not significant among individuals living in an area with low NSC.
Conclusion:
Interventions focusing on low SES middle-aged (50-59 years old) individuals and those aiming to increase NSC could be effective strategies to reduce the prevalence of loneliness in older people.
... Such cues are theorized to have a "halo effect" in which property appearance affects assumptions about the people who live there and related neighborhood characteristics, such as perceived safety (Nassauer, 2011). In highly vacant neighborhoods, the halo effect of landscape care may help to counteract adverse effects of disorder or deterioration on residents' health and safety, and may affect neighborhood stability (Nassauer and Raskin, 2014;Wood and Giles-Corti, 2008). ...
Care of vacant properties in urban environments is of particular interest to planners and residents alike. We report on a photovoice project completed by community leaders, researchers, and residents in two Detroit neighborhoods experiencing longtime systemic disinvestment. Participants photographed and discussed examples of care in a series of three focus groups in each neighborhood. Analyses highlight how acts of landscape care and visible cues to care contribute to changes in physical and social environments, and explore various links to health. We suggest theoretical and practical applications of residents’ perspectives on landscape care and identify implications for well-being and neighborhood stability.
... Boyes (2013) develops these views further by suggesting it is the social capital associated with belonging to a community with strong social ties that underpin the benefits of adventure for older people. Apart from the physical activity itself, he points to the interaction, social support and shared experiences that form a nucleus of benefits, which include, but are not necessarily limited to, good will, fellowship and social connection to both people and familiar places (Brymer, Downey & Gray, 2009;Wood & Giles-Corti, 2008). The compelling need for climbers to work with partners reinforces this (Hansen, 2013), as does the highly interactive potential of ACWs (Atchinson-Jones, 2004;Hill, 2009). ...
The aim of this article is to determine the perceptions and experiences of climbing at artificial climbing walls (ACWs) as undertaken by a cohort of ?young-old? people (approximately 65?75 years). The engagement of older people in outdoor activities and adventure is an evolving topic; however, as part of this development, little has been written on the use of ACWs. Methodologically, the research employed in-depth semi-structured focus groups and interviews with a purposive convenience sample of six recreational climbers, subsequently expanded to ten through snowball technique. Both sexes were equally represented. Manual thematic analysis identified two key motifs: ACWs and the notion of adventure, and ACWs and the potential for learning. The findings point at what constitutes ?real? adventure for this group of older adults; the shifting nature of ?old age?; the significance of self-awareness; and the role of reflexivity and physical activity in the construction of a ?successful? old age.
... Being with others in the outdoors provides socialisation opportunities and keeps folk active in their communities. Opportunities abound to enjoy the camaraderie of friends and to develop new friendships (Wood & Giles-Corti, 2008). In so doing, interpersonal skills are exercised in meaningful contexts. ...
... However, other research has suggested that the relationship is not necessarily straightforward and that, for example, greater land-use mix may actually inhibit social interaction among neighborhood residents, unless environments are sensitively designed to accommodate the needs of the pedestrian (Wood, Frank, & Giles-Corti, 2010). Research looking at broader measures of social capital has also been contradictory, with some finding positive links (Wood & Giles-Corti, 2008) and others finding an absence of links. A recent study in Japan, for example, suggested that historical and geographical factors were more important (Hanibuchi et al., 2012), which again may suggest broader social/cultural factors are influential and need further investigation. ...
Walking is still one of the most common ways for people to get about in their locality. Walking is positive: it promotes opportunities for social interaction; is inclusive since it is free and needs no special equipment; and it provides healthy exercise. The extent to which the places we live facilitate or constrain walking has become of increasing interest in the recent past as people live more sedentary lifestyles with negative health consequences. In this chapter we explore the concept of “walkable neighborhoods” and the evidence that these support more active lifestyles and better health and wellbeing for the people who live in them.
... An increasing number of researchers agree that there is a relationship between social capital, built environment and health (Araya et al., 2006;Leyden, 2003;Wood & Giles-Corti, 2008;Ziersch et al., 2005). Similar to the physical and human capital-i.e., tools and training that enhance productivity-social capital is defined as "features of social organization such as networks, norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit" (Putnam, 1993). ...
This study examines the cross-cultural practice of New Urbanism, one of the most internationally influential contemporary urban design models. The goal is to expand knowledge of global practice of urban design via a cross-cultural comparison of two New Urbanist neighborhoods???Ispartakule in Istanbul, Turkey and Cherry Hill Village in Detroit, USA. The research design employs case study methodology combined with quantitative and qualitative tools. The primary data collection tactics are surveys, face-to-face interviews, and structured observations.
The research uncovers the similarities and differences of the two New Urbanist developments in different cultural contexts, with reference to their physical and spatial qualities as well as the residents??? motivations, behaviors and attitudes. The primary findings are: 1) The physical and configurational properties of the neighborhoods are significantly different. In the US case, neighborhood form is successfully designed to enhance pedestrian movement and active use of public spaces. In contrast, the design of the Turkish neighborhood has disadvantages that challenge pedestrian movement and use of civic spaces. 2) Public space use and level of social engagement also differ with respect to cultural context. In the US case, streets and civic spaces accommodate a greater variety of activities and are better used than in the Turkish case. Similarly, the US residents are both physically and socially more active than the Turkish residents. 3) Residents??? motivations in choosing New Urbanist communities reveal the different priorities of goal-oriented needs in different cultural contexts. US residents consciously chose their New Urbanist neighborhood for its distinct architectural style, traditional town concept and active community life. Turkish residents chose their neighborhood for its high-quality construction and environment.
When New Urbanist practice is adapted to a different cultural context, the outcome can contradict New Urbanist principles: neighborhood form might inhibit active use of public spaces; multiple building types might result in segregation; civic spaces might become deserted; neighborhoods might function as isolated settlements rather than well-integrated centers that promote active urban life.
... Apart from physical and psychological health benefits associated with use of open spaces (Bedimo-Rung et al. 2005 ;Giles-Corti et al. 2005 ;Sugiyama et al. 2008 ), visiting wetlands and parklands can engender feelings of attachment and affective (emotional) connection, which in turn, can influence positive attitudes to natural environments (Carter 2009 ;Dutcher et al. 2007 ;Williams and Patterson 2008 ). In addition, building social capital through civic engagement can contribute to better mental health and feelings of general health and well-being (Wood and Giles-Corti 2008 ). ...
Much discussion relating to interactions between wetlands and people has focused on detrimental effects on health through wetland degradation and potentially toxic exposures. In recent years, however, there is greater recognition of the role wetlands play in improving the quality of human surroundings and providing cultural ecosystem services as aesthetically pleasing places for recreation, education and spiritual development. This chapter explores positive health benefits associated with the use and enhancement of urban wetlands. Potential benefits include improved physical and psychological health, increased community connection and sense of place, and those derived from community involvement in urban conservation.
To illustrate how various human health benefits may be recorded and reported, this chapter includes a case study that explores the community benefits generated through use of the Swan Canning Riverpark in Perth, Western Australia. The Riverpark consists of more than 150 conservation reserves and recreation parklands located along the banks of the Swan and Canning Rivers—a metropolitan river system that holds great spiritual, cultural and social value for the people of Perth. In 2010, the Swan River Trust began a process of parkland assessment and survey to monitor, evaluate and report on the level of community benefit derived through use of this system.
As the field of adaptation science grows, there are new and emerging paradigms to approach climate change planning. This paper includes a literature survey of articles and manuscripts that evaluate coastal climate change adaptation in the place attachment paradigm. The survey included a database review for an 11-year period with associated search terms and, after initial sifting of the results for duplications or nonrelated works, I reviewed the relationship between place attachment and adaptation, empirical methods for studying place attachment, major framing of their relationship, and how these concepts relate to equitable and “just adaptation.” Most studies used multiple and mixed methods with frequent use of semi-structured interviews and a psychometric scale. Primary frames for place attachment in adaptation were social capital, cultural heritage, managed retreat and migration, and ecosystem services. Place attachment can be a motivator for environmental action but a barrier to change, especially managed retreat. It can reveal critical elements and socio-cultural practices dependent on the landscape that are priorities to the residents and visitors. Finally, place attachment provides an opportunity, for more equitable and just adaptation, if done intentionally. After discussion of the results, I present research, policy, and practice considerations to further the intersection and application of place attachment in adaptation.
Communities in socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes are aging and depopulating. While longstanding interdependence of humans and nature in such areas holds crucial hints for sustainable development, they continue to be undervalued by existing economic frameworks. We suspect omission of non-material nature’s contributions to people (NCPs) as a possible reason for this undervaluation and focus on the intangible aspects of human–nature relationships: people’s direct and emotional attachment to their land and interrelationships between close-knit human communities and a thriving natural environment. Field observations on Sado Island, Japan, and literature reviews informed our hypothesis that perceived nature, conceptual human–nature relationships, place attachment, and social relationships contribute to subjective wellbeing. Structural equation modeling of island-wide questionnaire responses confirmed our hypothesis. Nature contributes to wellbeing by enhancing place attachment and social relationships; ecocentrism contributes to greater values of perceived nature. Free-response comments elucidated how local foods and close interpersonal relationships enhance residents’ happiness and good quality of life, as well as how aging and depopulation impact their sense of loneliness. These results lend empirical support to the understanding of human–nature interdependency in socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes. In assessing their value to local residents and society at large, greater consideration should be given to intangible aspects of human–nature relationships and quality of life.
The characteristics of neighbourhoods, their physical and social environment, have been shown to have profound effects on the individual well-being and happiness of their residents. In an effort to help design policies and action plans that enhance well-being in the district, our study seeks to understand how happiness levels among residents in a low-income neighbourhood in Spain are linked to their socio-demographic traits, individual health, relationships with the area, and community, as well as with the physical environment of the neighbourhood. The study is part of a project called "Educa-Pajarillos Sostenible". The project aims to improve the quality of life of the area’s citizens by carrying out a series of actions. One of these actions is an eco-social map of happiness, which involves designing and applying a survey and which serves as a source of analysis for our research. An Ordered Choice Logit econometric model was applied to measure the effect of the happiness of demographic, neighbourhood environment, social capital, and socio-demographic characteristics. Results confirm the importance of variables related to the neighbourhood’s social capital and physical environment as key elements in local residents’ happiness. The findings also indicate that traditional indicators used to measure well-being, such as education or difficulty making ends meet, are not significant.
In response to growing levels of social isolation and loneliness in cities, the promotion of social connectedness has come to the forefront of urban health, sustainability, and resiliency agendas. Despite policy attention locally and internationally, social connectedness is not consistently defined, conceptualized, or measured in population health and urban planning research. The term has also been used interchangeably with various other concepts in research on social environments and health, particularly social cohesion, social capital, and social inclusion. These discrepancies create confusion for planners and policymakers looking for evidence-informed guidance on the implementation and evaluation of urban interventions designed to promote social connectedness. Further, it presents a challenge for intervention researchers interested in investigating possible causal pathways between urban change, social connectedness, and health. Drawing from contemporary public health and urban planning literature, this paper aims to delineate the concept of social connectedness, including its meaning, measurement, and relationship to neighbourhoods and health. Clarifying social connectedness for urban health research and policy is crucial to interpreting and advancing evidence on its role – both its determinants and impacts – in the development of healthy, sustainable, and resilient cities.
Building sustainable communities is fast becoming a common principle in urban development, and a sustainable community is one that has a prevailing social order and strong cohesion among its members. Today, rising crime is destabilizing traditional neighborhoods by creating fear, which leads to residential turnover. This study aims to assess whether strengthening social cohesion by communities of practice and knowledge-sharing behavior may prevent residents from harboring intentions to leave. A framework based on environmental psychology principles has been developed; communities of practice and knowledge-sharing behavior are believed to stimulate residential satisfaction, which acts as a counteraction to flight intention. A survey was conducted among residents in crime-ridden neighborhoods in the southern region in Malaysia to assess whether the factors have contributed to their flight intention. Three hundred nine responses were obtained and analyzed using partial least squares structural modeling. Findings revealed that communities of practice reduce flight intention indirectly through the moderation of residential satisfaction, whereas low knowledge-sharing behavior have reduced flight intention. Findings of the former are expected, but the latter is surprising, suggesting residents' resilience and experience in handling crime, hence not requiring any sharing of safety practices. The findings identify suitable methods to improve social interactions to prevent residential turnover and keep the neighborhoods relevant and safe for future inhabitants.
The increase in the supply of public rental housing since 1989 has mitigated the low-income housing shortage and contributed to stabilizing the housing market in South Korea. However, despite this policy-driven achievement, the living environment quality of public rental housing and its relationship to residents’ social capital and health have not been thoroughly examined. Using survey data from 3009 householders located across public rental housing complexes within administrative districts in Seoul, Korea, this study performed a multi-level analysis to examine the associations of multiple domains of perceived and objective residential environments with dependent variables of social capital (trust, interaction, and norm of reciprocity) and health (self-rated health, chronic health conditions, and stress level). While better-perceived residential environments for daily needs (e.g., home environments with better utilities/equipment and barrier-free space, safe environments and external facilities for the disabled, and accessible public transit stations and groceries) were significant for social capital or health, perceived access to amenities for recreational needs (e.g., green and recreational space, cultural facilities) were not significant. Some significance from the objective measures of such recreational needs was found, but most objective measures showed inconsistent, mixed results. Among individual characteristics, self-esteem and having a disabled member appeared important. Our findings suggest the need for inclusive policy strategies that make good use of existing resources and respond to the actual and accessible needs of residents, especially those of low socioeconomic status, from the psychological, physical, and environmental perspectives. More attention needs to be directed to improving the environmental quality of public rental housing.
Pese a que la familia es una reconocida institución con influencia en múltiples facetas de la vida social en España, no existen muchos estudios específicos sobre su papel en las trayectorias residenciales. Utilizando una encuesta realizada en el área metropolitana de Granada en 2008, en este trabajo analizamos la influencia de dos aspectos —la concentración de la red familiar y la presencia de raíces en el barrio— en las decisiones de movilidad e inmovilidad espacial. Los resultados indican que las redes familiares juegan un papel importante para entender las decisiones de sedentarismo espacial en nuestro contexto de estudio. La familia es un fuerte factor de arraigo en la vivienda y en el barrio de toda la población, pero, al mismo tiempo, está modulado por la posición social de los individuos y las familias y su importancia es mayor entre las familias con menores recursos y para aquellos que residen en barrios más desfavorecidos.
This literature review seeks to advance the interdisciplinary conversation that dog parks are a resource for building social capital through interpersonal exchange, which is beneficial for both individuals’ health across the life span and for the communities. Dog parks have been linked to health promotion behaviors and improved long-term health of the companion animals and their guardians. Similarly, social capital and dog guardianship have been independently linked to positive health outcomes through a limited amount of literature. By analyzing the relevant literature on the triangulation of social capital, dog-human relationship, and dog parks within the United States through a robust literature review, the author seeks to advance the call for empirical research towards understanding dog parks as a mechanism to create and sustain social capital within urban neighborhoods.
Recent decades have seen a growing number of studies on the benefits and environmental determinants of community social capital. This study explored the relationship between neighborhood residents’ perceptions of their built environment and social capital by comparing two neighborhoods, Bucktown, an example of traditional neighborhood design, and Schaumburg, exemplifying suburban sprawl. Furthermore, the study sought to develop suggestions for further research about the variables contributing to neighborhood variations in social capital. Results of two cross-sectional phone surveys with 197 residents indicated that Bucktown respondents reported more close neighborhood ties, and believed they were more involved in mutual aid and community problem solving, but viewed their neighbors as less supportive than participants from Schaumburg. It may be hypothesized that aspects of residents’ perceptions of the built environment, particularly perceived safety and walkability, may be partly responsible for the neighborhood differences found. Further research is needed to understand the pathways of how elements of perceived built environment may affect social capital formation and development.
Social capital is increasingly considered a means to address important planning objectives such as societal wellbeing and livability. Community Currency (CC) is considered one of the most effective forms of social capital. Understanding factors contributing to CC participation is the key to promoting successful CC systems. Despite the well-documented work on the demographic, socioeconomic, and policy factors related to CC, the roles of the physical environment, such as neighborhood walkability, have not been explored. Using the survey data collected from 77 users and 42 nonusers of CC, this exploratory study examined how neighborhood walkability influenced the levels of CC activities and community attachment. After controlling for demographic factors, the analysis showed walking-friendly neighborhood features were positively related to CC membership and CC activities. Further, CC participants and those living in walking-friendly neighborhoods showed significantly higher levels of community attachment compared to their counterparts. The results suggest that neighborhood physical environments may function to deter or promote CC participation, and that an effective CC promotion strategy may involve targeting walkable communities.
Where we live in cities plays a big role in how we feel: living in luxury, gated neighborhoods versus living in squalor can greatly enhance our quality of life and happiness. Yet not enough is known about which features of the built and natural environment – as well as the interpersonal relationships that exist within those environments – influence individual and societal well-being. Further still, the evidence is unclear as to what urban decision-makers practically can do to plan, design, develop, and manage neighborhoods to improve well-being. This chapter begins by defining key terms and then outlining some of the important relationships between neighborhoods and well-being, using a framework developed for the Foresight Mental Capital and Wellbeing Project. Next, the authors reflect on the evidence and discuss future interventions for neighborhoods and what decision-makers may need to help them make more informed decisions in the future. The chapter ends with a look into the future of urban neighborhoods and the role of urban stakeholders (e.g., local authorities, local businesses, residents) in developing tools for well-being.
A growing literature has indicated a relationship between social capital and certain aspects of the built environment with contributions from various disciplines, including environmental psychology, urban design, and health geography. In this systematic review and research synthesis, we summarize the literature in this domain using existing sociological and design frameworks to ascertain the effect of specific built environment domains on social capital. Our review shows that there is a significant relationship between social capital and the built environment, specifically between social cohesion and access to destinations/walkability. Positive relationships exist between social capital, design, and diversity, whereas the effect of population density on social capital is negative and unclear. We find significant methodological limitations and gaps in the published literature, including the absence of longitudinal studies and the use of a plethora of social capital and built environment measures.
This paper addresses the use of the concept of social capital in neighbourhood renewal programmes which aim to influence social and health-related processes. Based on a social network analysis of 17 groups comprising 133 members, qualitative interviews were conducted with 22 participants to consider the kinds of patterns and connections that build up in a neighbourhood renewal project in a small, deprived neighbourhood of a provincial town in Denmark. Results show that outcomes of community participation depend on the kind of social capital generated and on who is excluded from these resources or capital. Problems hindering inclusive participatory processes include self-exclusion and exclusionary dynamics in the neighbourhood. These dynamics centre on power struggles that lead the least powerful to opt out. Thus, the Danish ‘Ghetto Strategy’, which aims to increase local community participation and volunteering, could have the unintended consequence of increasing social and health inequalities rather than reducing them.
http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/UtZ454IByDkrpMrfIX4K/full
Wer danach fragt, wie Pierre Bourdieus Habitustheorie in der Psychologie rezipiert wird, gelangt zunächst zu einem ernüchternden Befund. Zumindest im Hauptstrom des Fachs wurde Bourdieus „genetischer Strukturalismus“ nur wenig zur Kenntnis genommen. Auf den ersten Blick mag diese Rezeptionslücke seltsam anmuten, hat sich Bourdieu doch mit Forschungsgegenständen beschäftigt – Geschmacksurteilen, Wahrnehmung, Handlungsstilen, Partnerwahlen usw. –, für die sich eigentlich auch die Psychologie interessieren sollte. Tatsächlich liegt aber der Grund für das geringe Interesse weniger an der Theorie Bourdieus als vielmehr im vorherrschenden Selbstverständnis des Fachs, das als empiristisch, nomothetisch sowie als auf das Verhalten und Erleben von Individuen und Kleingruppen ausgerichtet umschrieben werden kann. Dies gilt nicht zuletzt für die Subdisziplin der Sozialpsychologie, von der man eine entsprechende Rezeption am ehesten erwartet hätte, die sich aber gerade in Abgrenzung zur Soziologie entwickelt hat.
This article examines how levels of social capital in a new urbanist community change over time. We collected demographic and social capital data in a new urbanist community in 2001 and then again in 2010. The findings indicate that this community experienced an overall decline in social capital over this nine-year period. Additionally, we found that while residents new to the community were less concerned with social capital than long-term residents in the community, the latter group had also declined significantly in their levels of social capital. Overall, the results suggest that planners of new urbanist and other intentional communities should consider the impact of changing demographics when designing new subdivisions. Most importantly, residents and community leaders need to consider alternative means by which social capital can be retained as new residents are integrated into established communities.
The association between negative mood and place preferences was studied in an adult sample. The respondents described their experiences of favorite and unpleasant places and their mood in a questionnaire mailed to the residents of three housing areas in the metropolitan area. In comparison with low negative mood scorers, high negative mood scorers were significantly more often alone in their favorite places or only with passers-by. Adults with high negative mood were also more likely to choose natural favorite places than other places. No association between the level of negative mood and type of unpleasant place or reasons for disliking that place was found. Speculatively, people with high levels of negative emotion in comparison with other people may not recognize any different negative environmental features but are more tuned for recognizing the physical environment as an opportunity to improve mood through occasional retreat to favorite settings.
Social capital can be defined broadly as the resources available to individuals and groups through their social connections to their communities (1). Although the precise definition of social capital is contested and continues to evolve, most definitions emphasize its characteristic as a collective good (1). Social capital can be considered a kind of public good that is provided by a group or community, and, consequently, the benefits of social capital tend to be more widely shared by members of the community. It is the collective dimension of social capital that most sharply distinguished it from other existing concepts, such as social networks and social support. A classic example of this distinction, which we develop further in the following case study, is the individual who may lack social ties and social support on a personal level but nevertheless benefits from residing within a community that is rich in social connections. In turn, communities with high stocks of social capital may be more effective in responding to external health threats, such as natural disasters, or the threatened closure of local health services. Such communities are also better equipped to protect the health of its citizens, even those who are socially isolated. The social connections that exist within a community therefore represent a form of capital that can be leveraged for health gain (1).
The authors of this excellent text define social epidemiology as the epidemiologic study of the social distribution and social determinants of states of health, implying that the aim is to identify socio-environmental exposures which may be related to a broad range of physical and mental health outcomes. In the first systematic account of this field, they focus on methodological approaches but draw widely from related disciplines such as sociology, psychology, physiology, and medicine in the effort to develop and evaluate testable hypotheses about the pathways between social conditions and health. The persistent patterns of social inequalities in health make this a timely publication.
This article applies Robert Putnam's concept of social capital to housing and urban policy. We review the social capital literature that informs public policy and offer a new paradigmatic approach to solving social problems. We also introduce and summarize six articles that examine how social capital affects housing and community development.The work we summarize finds that social capital remains a relatively underdeveloped policy resource. The authors see the enhancement of social capital as key to improving the quality of life in low‐income neighborhoods. The idea of social capital, as developed in the articles presented here, structures the complex and often conflicting facts that characterize poverty into a set of strategic options that point to new, more subtle housing and urban policies.
This article presents evidence that social capital can be an effective component of locally sponsored low‐income housing programs. It provides a model for measuring social capital at the building level, where it may be most effective in improving housing quality and security. The study compares five programs in New York City that house the city's poorest, mostly minority residents. The surveys from 487 buildings in Brooklyn, NY, were analyzed to compare the success of programs in maintaining and revitalizing landlord‐abandoned buildings taken by the city in lieu of taxes.Results of the analysis demonstrate that the positive effects of tenant ownership were largely mediated by the higher levels of social capital found in these buildings. These levels have implications for the survival and economic advancement of poor households and civic participation in poor communities. The study suggests the value of alternative homeownership programs.
Social programs need to identify catalysts for action which can be targeted in order to effectively and efficiently meet their goals. A model illustrates how a sense of community can have a catalytic effect on local action (i.e., participation in a block association) by affecting the perception of the environment, social relations, and one’s perceived control and empowerment The model is tested and confirmed through path-analytic and longitudinal techniques.
L'A. etudie le lien entre capital social et developpement economique. Il analyse la notion de capital social et souligne que cette notion caracterise un reseau de relations sociales jouissant d'une certaine autonomie et d'un relatif enracinement dans la vie sociale. Il examine la place du capital social dans le cadre des politiques de developpement economique et met en lumiere un certain nombre de contraintes et de possibilites inherentes aux dilemmes propres aux strategies de developpement «bas-haut» et «haut-bas». Il envisage de facon critique les theories et les politiques concues en matiere de developpement
This paper explores residents' perceptions of their local environment in four socially contrasting neighbourhoods in Glasgow City. Six aspects of the areas (amenities, problems, crime, neighbourliness, area reputation and satisfaction) differed significantly between the neighbourhoods, as did four dimensions of health (anxiety, depression, and self-assessed health in the last year and for age). Multivariate analysis suggested that social class and perceptions of the area independently contributed to the health differences between neighbourhoods. Public health policy should focus on health-promoting or health-damaging features of local areas as well as on individual lifestyle factors.
For as long as people have managed natural resources, they have engaged in collective action. But development assistance has paid too little attention to how social and human capital affects environmental outcomes. Social capital comprises relations of trust, reciprocity, common rules, norms and sanctions, and connectedness in institutions. Recent years have seen remarkable advances in group formation, with in the past decade some 408,000–478,000 groups emerging with 8.2–14.3 million members in watershed, irrigation, microfinance, forest, and integrated pest management, and for farmers' research. A new typology describes the evolution of groups through three stages, and indicates what kinds of policy support are needed to safeguard and spread achievements.
This paper reviews the origins and definitions of social capital in the writings of Bourdieu, Loury, and Coleman, among other authors. It distinguishes four sources of social capital and examines their dynamics. Applications of the concept in the sociological literature emphasize its role in social control, in family support, and in benefits mediated by extrafamilial networks. I provide examples of each of these positive functions. Negative consequences of the same processes also deserve attention for a balanced picture of the forces at play. I review four such consequences and illustrate them with relevant examples. Recent writings on social capital have extended the concept from an individual asset to a feature of communities and even nations. The final sections describe this conceptual stretch and examine its limitations, I argue that, as shorthand for the positive consequences of sociability, social capital has a definite place in sociological theory. However, excessive extensions of the concept may jeopardize its heuristic value.
Social capital is a term that has recently gained popularity. It refers to the public good that results from mutually supportive social relationships. Mental health can be defined as the state of balance that individuals establish within themselves and between themselves and their social and physical environment. The article describes the relationship between the two and demonstrates that an increase of social capital supports mental health and that the promotion of mental health and its improvement (as well as the successful treatment of mental disorders) contributes to the growth of social capital.
In Finland, members of the Swedish‐speaking minority, many of whom live in the province of Ostrobothnia, intermingle with the Finnish‐speaking majority. Although the two language communities are quite similar to each other in most societal respects, including socioeconomic status, education and use of health services, significant disparities have been reported in the morbidity, disability and mortality between the Swedish‐speaking minority and the Finnish‐speaking majority. Since the population genetic, ecological and socioeconomic circumstances are equal, Swedish speakers’ longer active life is difficult to explain by conventional health‐related risk factors. A great deal of health inequality (between the language groups) seems to derive from uneven distribution of social capital, i.e. the Swedish‐speaking community holds a higher amount of social capital that is associated with their well‐being and health. Factor analysis revealed four patterns of social capital measures, i.e. voluntary associational activity, friendship network, religious involvement and hobby club activity, of which associational activity, friendship network and religious involvement were significantly associated with good self‐rated health. Also, trustful friendship network, hobby club activity and religious involvement as well as avoidance of intoxication‐prone drinking behavior were significantly more frequent among the individuals of the Swedish‐speaking community. We suggest that health promotion should seek ways of working which would encourage social participation.
This paper offers a substantial review of the ways in which the concept of 'social capital' has been used in the recent theoretical and policy literatures. Attention is drawn to the significant difference between the way in which the term has been defined by its two major proponents, James Coleman and Robert Putnam. Putnam's usage, which is the one which has been taken over in development policy thinking by some in the World Bank, is subjected to substantial critique. It is concluded that policy arguments which pose civil society against the state, or which rest on the view that rich endowment in 'social capital' is a precondition for 'good government', are almost certainly misconceived. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
This paper,oÄers a substantial review of the ways,in which,the concept,of ‘social capital’ has been used in the recent theoretical and policy literatures. Attention is drawn,to the significant diÄerence between,the way,in which the term has been defined by its two major proponents, James Coleman and Robert Putnam. Putnam’s usage, which,is the one which,has been taken over in development,policy thinking,by some in the World Bank, is subjected to substantial critique. It is concluded that policy arguments which pose civil society against the state, or which rest on the view that rich endowment in ‘social capital’ is a precondition for ‘good government’, are almost certainly misconceived. #1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. J. Int. Dev. 9: 919‐937 (1997)
A common claim made by New Urbanists is that a high-quality pedestrian environment will enhance sense of community by increasing opportunities for interaction among neighbors. This link between neighborhood design and community sentiment, however, has not been adequately researched. This study explores how objective and subjective qualities of the pedestrian environment influence residents’ sense of community, both directly and indirectly through their effects on pedestrian travel. Surveys conducted in one pedestrian-oriented neighborhood and one automobile-oriented neighborhood in Portland, Oregon, support the hypotheses that (1) sense of community will be greater in the traditional neighborhood and (2) pedestrian environment factors will significantly influence sense of community, controlling for various demographic influences.
The association between negative mood and place preferences was studied in an adult sample. The respondents described their experiences of favorite and unpleasant places and their mood in a questionnaire mailed to the residents of three housing areas in the metropolitan area. In comparison with low negative mood scorers, high negative mood scorers were significantly more often alone in their favorite places or only with passers-by. Adults with high negative mood were also more likely to choose natural favorite places than other places. No association between the level of negative mood and type of unpleasant place or reasons for disliking that place was found. Speculatively, people with high levels of negative emotion in comparison with other people may not recognize any different negative environmental features but are more tuned for recognizing the physical environment as an opportunity to improve mood through occasional retreat to favorite settings.
Although fear of crime is a topic that has received considerable research interest, less attention has been paid to the behavioral consequences of fear. Conducting secondary data analysis on a national survey of Canadian women, this article examines whether women would frequent certain environments more often, that they currently perceive as unsafe, if they felt safer. The article concludes that fear may be limiting women's movement around their environment, and by reducing fear, lifestyle options should increase.
This article discusses the meaning of the idea that schools should be communities. It argues that the view that schools should be communities should be viewed as a distinct vision of school reform because it has a distinct vision of the problems that require solution (alienation and disengagement) and how they are to be solved. It contrasts this vision with standards-based reform and with the emphasis on small schools. The article argues that schools that are communities should be rooted in a shared educational project - a conception of the vision of the education the school wishes to provide that is shared by all members of the community. There are four C's of community: coherence, cohesion, care, and contact. Coherence consists of a shared vision and a shared language - a shared educational project. Cohesion is the sense of community that results from the shared pursuit of such a project. Care is required for initiating students into this project. Contact concerns the structural features of schools, such as size, that facilitate personalization and care. Coherence is the central feature of community. In contrast, standards-based reform privatizes educational projects and instrumentalizes education. The emphasis on small schools tends to see contact as the crucial feature of community rather than coherence.
This paper focuses upon the results of a co-ordinated programme of research designed to evaluate the impact of street lighting improvements on crime and fear of crime. The street lighting was upgraded in three urban streets and a pedestrian footpath considered by a multi-agency team to be crime and fear prone. The impact of the street lighting programme was assessed using attitudinal and behavioural measures, through ‘before’ and ‘after’ surveys of pedestrians. The results provide convincing evidence that sensitively deployed street lighting can lead to reductions in crime and fear of crime, and increase pedestrian street use after dark.
Some Russians are healthier than others. To what extent does their health vary with involvement or exclusion from social capital networks? The first section reviews alternative theories: human capital as the primary determinant; social capital, whether generic, situation-specific or simply a new label for old measures of social integration; or a composite theory — both human and social capital are major determinants of health. The evidence to test hypotheses consists of individual-level data about self-assessed physical and emotional health from the special-purpose social capital questionnaire used in the 1998 New Russia Barometer survey, a nationwide representative sample of the adult Russian population. Multiple regression analysis shows that on their own human capital and social capital each account for a notable amount of variance in health. When both forms of capital are combined in a composite model, each retains major influence, demonstrating that social capital does make an independent contribution to health. Significant social capital influences include involvement or exclusion from formal and informal networks; friends to rely on when ill; control over one’s own life; and trust. Significant human capital influences besides age include subjective social status, gender and income. Regression-based estimates of impact show that social capital increases physical and emotional health more than human capital; together they can easily raise an individual’s self-reported health from just below average on a five-point scale to approaching good health.
This paper examines the form of the evolving metropolitan fringe by means of comparative case studies of fringe development in the San Francisco Bay area at three scales-the community, the neighborhood, and the street and house lot. The study identifies underlying organizing principles and spatial typologies and analyzes patterns of growth, land use, and street layouts for several periods of suburban development beginning early in the twentieth century and continuing into the 1990s. As the scale of development has grown, there has been a parallel growth of self-contained, single-use developments and an erosion of the public street framework. This shift has serious implications for the character, convenience, and adaptability of new urban environments.
McKenzie et al ( [2002][1]) illustrate how emerging conceptions of social capital can help psychiatric researchers study links between social context and the prevalence, course and outcome of psychiatric conditions. Two further considerations deserve a place in this discussion. First, the premise
This study tests the New Urbanist claims that placing amenities such as parks and retail shops within walking distance of homes will increase pedestrian travel and thereby increase interaction among neighbors. It also examines the relative roles of physical design and personal attitudes and perceptions in predicting walking and neighboring behaviors. Surveys were conducted in eight neighborhoods (four inner-city, four suburban) with varying degrees of local access to parks and shops. Analyses were conducted at the neighborhood and individual levels and were supplemented with qualitative data. The findings provide some support for each of the tested relationships, but also underscore the significance of other variables, especially personal attitudes.
This study evaluates a multilevel theory of community social organization and its structural antecedents. The main hypothesis
derived from a systemic conceptualization of community is that the effect of residential stability on social cohesion is mediated
by the density of friendship and acquaintanceship networks. This hypothesis is tested in two stages using data bases constructed
from a 1984 national sample of 11,030 residents of over 500 localities in Great Britain. First, the community-level results
show that the positive effect of residential stability on a measure of social cohesion is accounted for by the increased level
of friendship/acquaintanceship ties and the decreased level of anonymity among residents, regardless of urbanization and other
sociodemographic controls. Second, the individual-level analysis indicates that residential stability has both individual
and contextual effects on local social ties, which in turn promote individual attachment to community. Social cohesion is
also directly related to community satisfaction at both levels of analysis. Overall, the results support and extend a systemic
theory that bridges the micro- and macrolevel dimensions of community social bonds.
Despite the extra-individual nature of social relationships, social support and social networks have been treated by and large as individual-level concepts. This article describes some of the forms that an individualistic bias takes in our current approaches to conceptualization and measurement of social support and social networks and suggests three steps towards an extra-individual treatment of these concepts: (1) expand notions of social support to encompass social integration; (2) examine the role of groups and settings as social network “members”; and (3) explore functional and structural characteristics of social networks as independent and dependent measures.
Social capital has emerged as an important concept within the field of community development. This article is the first in a two-part series exploring the perspectives of academics, public advocates, philanthropists, and community development practitioners on the uses of social capital.
1. What this is all about I am baking a cake and have run out of sugar, but I can go to my neighbor next door to get some. It was worth being nice to that neighbor even though I did not particularly fancy her. Do I have to return the sugar? Maybe she can borrow my lawn mower the next time she needs to mow her lawn and that will count as a return of the favor. Maybe the value of the sugar is trivial enough not to require repayment in kind. Now I need a recipe for a new cake. My neighbor has just the right recipe for me. But there is really nothing to return except for good will because in giving me a copy of the recipe my neighbor still has it. A guy three houses down the street whom I do not know has heard from my neighbor that I know something about computers and asks me to help him. I am busy but feel obligated to at least try to help because we all live in the same neighborhood. Someday I will have to ask a neighbor, maybe even a different one, for help in fixing that darn lawnmower. What goes around comes around. In fact, I am really in a bad mood because the cake was not really any good, the new recipe was of no great help, and besides, my lawnmower is busted. Nadav Halevy pointed me in the direction of various readings in economics. Barry and Beverly Wellman read the manuscript meticulously and made important suggestions. (C. Kadushin).
Background:
This paper describes the circumstances of contemporary young mothers and their children from a nationally representative sample, and compares them to the circumstances of mothers who delayed childbearing beyond age 20.
Methods:
The participants are members of the Environmental Risk (E-risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, which follows an epidemiological sample of 1,116 women who became mothers in England and Wales in 1994-95, and their children, and contains an over-sample of young mothers. Home visits were conducted when the children were aged 5 years. Data were collected from mothers via interviews, from children via experimental tasks and observations, and from teachers via postal questionnaires.
Results:
Young mothers encountered more socio-economic deprivation, had significantly less human and social capital, and experienced more mental health difficulties. Their partners were less reliable and supportive, both economically and emotionally, and were more antisocial and abusive. The children of young mothers showed reduced educational attainment, were rated by multiple informants as having more emotional and behavioural problems, were at increased risk of maltreatment or harm, and showed higher rates of illnesses, accidents, and injuries.
Conclusions:
Young mothers today face difficulties known to have long-lasting effects for women and their children. Preventions that target young mothers may reduce harm to the physical health, mental health, and social status of future generations.
This paper reports the results of an analysis of infant mortality based on a conceptual model that combines micro-level and macro-level variables taken from demographic, sociological and epidemiological research traditions. Using generalized hierarchical linear modeling techniques, we analyze 1988 and 1989 linked birth and death records for Upstate New York matched with county-level data from government and private sources. Net of health and sociodemographic risk factors, our results show that the number of per capita primary care physicians and local government expenditures on health care services and hospitals are positively linked to an increase in the probability of infant death and that our indicator of hospital facilities is negatively related to risk of death. We also find that some negative health behaviors and health resources of mothers are mediated by the local health care environment. Our results demonstrate the utility of combining perspectives from several disciplines when evaluating infant death, especially the impact of policy-related issues concerning health care service infrastructure.
The popularity of the concept of social capital has been accompanied by increasing controversy about its actual meaning and effects. I consider here the alternative applications of the concept as an attribute of individuals vs. collectivities and discuss the extent to which causal propositions formulated at each level are logically sound. I present some empirical evidence illustrating the possibility that, despite the current popularity of the concept, much of its alleged benefits may be spurious after controlling for other factors. Implications of this analysis and results for theory and policy are discussed.
Previous community psychology research has suggested that sense of community can be a powerful explanatory tool for understanding
community development and individual well-being, but has not focused on the relationship of environmental variables to the
construct. In other disciplines—especially urban planning—this construct has received more attention but it has not been empirically
and systematically studied. The three-phase qualitative study reported here sampled people representative of those who live
and work in Seaside, FL, a town designed to induced sense of community. The data strongly suggest a relationship between a
variable set that may define sense of community—membership, need fulfillment, shared emotional connections, loyalty—and the
environmental variables of town design, architecture, and urban planning philosophy.
This paper examines the theoretical linkage between social capital and sense of community through research studies within four contextual areas. Social capital (SC) can be conceptualized as all the interactions between individuals in a community, and has been examined in various groups and communities. Sense of community (SoC) is a psychological construct that we argue is a correlate of social capital. Sense of community reflects the feelings of attachment and belonging that an individual has towards a community. Through qualitative and quantitative research carried out across the lifespan in four communities in Western Australia (i.e., Perth community, adolescent Jewish community, urban and rural communities, and primary school community), this paper utilizes SoC as a framework for investigating ways in which SC may be realized in communities. The significance of this paper highlights the practical application of increasing SC within communities through targeting SoC within individuals.
This paper tries to reconcile two sets of apparently contradictory results. One is the positive link, postulated in literature, between place attachment and civic activity, the other is the sociological claim that there is a negative relationship between place attachment and a person's social and cultural status (cultural capital), which in turn is known to be the strongest positive predictor of civic involvement.In order to resolve this inconsistency, I postulated two alternative paths leading to civic activity: the social–emotional path, in which the relationship between place attachment and civic activity is mediated by local social capital (neighborhoods ties), and cultural path, consisting of cultural capital and interest in own roots. I also postulated a negative link between place attachment and cultural capital.A representative sample of 1328 subjects, coming from three regions of Poland, differing in historical heritage and objective rootedness of inhabitants, was used for analysis. In a series of structural equations, the two-path model was confirmed both in the whole sample and in each of the three regions separately. Similar results were obtained from a separate analysis run on data clustered into 114 communes.
Emerging evidence suggests that the degree of social cohesion is an important determinant of population health status. Citizens living in societies with a high degree of social cohesion — characterized by strong social networks and high levels of interpersonal trust — seem to be healthier than those living in socially disorganized societies. Epidemiologists have become interested in notions of civil society and social capital to explain variations in health across societies. The purpose of the present paper was to examine the role of social capital in the Russian mortality crisis. Social capital has been defined as those features of social organization — such as the density of civic associations, levels of interpersonal trust, and norms of reciprocity — that act as resources for individuals, and facilitate collective action. A civil society is one that is rich in stocks of social capital. Various scholars have argued that one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Soviet regime was the paucity of civil society. Using household survey data from the Ail-Russian Center for Public Opinion research (VTsIOM), we carried out a cross-sectional, ecologie analysis of the association between indicators of social capital and mortality rates across 40 regions of Russia. We found associations between indicators of social capital (mistrust in government, crime, quality of work relations, civic engagement in politics) and life expectancy, as well as mortality rates. In the absence of civil society, it is believed that far more people in post-Soviet Russia rely on informal sources of support (friends, family) to deal with their day to day problems. Those lacking such sources of support may have been especially vulnerable to the economic hardships following the transformation to a market economy.
Video-based media spaces are designed to support casual interaction between intimate collaborators. Yet transmitting video is fraught with privacy concerns. Some researchers suggest that the video stream be filtered to mask out potentially sensitive ...
This paper explores the dynamics between poverty and exclusion; neighbourhood, and health and well being by considering the role of social networks and social capital in the social processes involved. It is based on qualitative research taking two deprived areas as exemplary case studies, and involving depth interviews with residents. Neighbourhood influences on networks and social capital were explored, network typologies developed reflecting structural and cultural aspects of individual's networks, and pathways implicated in health effects considered. The complexity of social capital is addressed. The role of three factors in influencing social networks and social capital are demonstrated: neighbourhood characteristics and perceptions; poverty and social exclusion, and social consciousness. Perceptions of inequality could be a source of social capital as well as demoralisation. Different network structures- dense and weak, homogeneous and heterogeneous- were involved in the creation of social capital and had implications for well being. Coping, enjoyment of life and hope are identified as benefits. Although participation in organisations was confirmed as beneficial, it is suggested that today's heterogeneous neighbourhoods also require regenerated local work opportunities to develop bridging ties necessary for the genesis of inclusive social capital and better health. Despite the capacity of social capital to buffer its harsher effects, the concept is not wholly adequate for explaining the deleterious effects of poverty on health and well being.
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Social capital, embraced by New Labour and the World Bank, is currently the intellectual equivalent of Marmite, loved and loathed in equal measure. Cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems – or Emperor's new clothes? Like most agnostics, the editors of this book are
There is scope for Governments to take more account of social capital in policy development, according to this Commission study. This paper suggests that social capital generally brings social and economic benefits by reducing transaction costs, promoting cooperative behaviour, diffusing knowledge and innovations, and enhancing personal well-being.