Social Capital

The networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively. Social capital can be found in friendship networks, churches, schools, clubs, civic associations, and even bars. The motto of Cheers "where everybody knows your name" captures one important aspect of social capital

Examples would be: When a group of neighbors keep an eye on one another's homes (community watch) Barn raising on a frontier E-mail exchanges among members of a cancer support group Civic engagement Social connectedness Produce such results far as better schools, faster economic development, lower crime, and more effective government

There are three dimensions of social capital: structural, relational and cognitive

The structural dimension is: The properties of the network itself Refers to the pattern of how things are connected Who and how they reach people for resources The size, location, diversity, and closeness of ties within the network can make it easier or more difficult to access relationships and consequently, affect the amount of social capital one has available to exchange for needed resources. The picture shows the sub-dimensions within the structural dimension. -The bonding social capital is the connection within a network -The bridging social capital it the connection between two networks -The linking social capital is the connection between a network and the government

Based on characteristics of social relationships between individuals and is commonly described as including trust and trustworthiness Relational dimension is known as interpersonal relationships Interpersonal relationships are social associations, connections, or affiliations between two or more people. They vary in differing levels of intimacy and sharing, implying the discovery or establishment of common ground, and may be centered around something(s) shared in common.

Shared norms, values, attitudes and beliefs Predisposes people towards mutually beneficial collective action Refers to resources that provide shared representation, interpretations, and systems of meaning among parties Examples would be: Separate networks or communities that develop unique terms, acronyms, interpretation of numbers and concepts

Three Countertrends that Putnam emphasized in his article "Bowling Alone" Tertiary Organizations Nonprofit Organizations Support Groups The movement of women into the labor force Mobility - The "Re-potting" hypothesis Demographic Transformations Technology- "privatizing" and "individualizing" our use of leisure time: Television which has disrupted many of our opportunities for social-capital formation These three organizations and groups pondered against the loss of conventional civic organizations The downward trend is most noticeable for church-related groups, for labor unions, for fraternal and veterans' organizations, and for school-service groups and many other community based trends. Conversely, membership in professional associations has risen over these years Rising educational and occupational levels Essentially the same trends are evident for both men and women Work hours have significantly increased since the 1960s Mobility- the automobile, suburbanization and the sun belt were all factors Demographic transformations- fewer marriages, more divorce, fewer children, lower real wages. - married middle class parents are more involved

Sort out the dimensions of social capital. Hard to do since it is not a one dimensional concept Focus on organizations and networks Keep an eye on issues involving macrosociological crosscurrents intersecting with current trends. Such as technology Assess and recognize the changes in American social capital Examine public policies and how they can form social networks or norms Focus on the types of organizations and networks that most effectively generate social capital Meeting in an electronic form such as chat rooms or email is way different than Must not harp on the past but look forward A proposal in San Luis Obispo, California, to require that all new houses have front porches illustrates the power of government to influence where and how networks are formed.

Civic engagement is a community working together to make a difference Present and future It will significantly improve communities Better education and health, less crime, unemployment poverty and drug abuse Organizations and friends make networks through civic engagement These networks can create even create job offers Politicians use civic engagement for their benefit There is no exact definition civically engaged community there is better health and education, and less crime, unemployment, poverty, and drug abuse Communities that have civic engagement have the same values and view so politicians use civic engagement as a platform

Social connections are the interactions that you have with the people around you Social connectedness is the measure of how people come together and work together Both are very important to forming networks Creates trust between people Social connections can be increased due to leisure The advantages to having a strong sense of social connections and social connectedness are the exposure and rise of community organization People are more likely to want to participate in a community that has a strong social connection or deeper desire to provide resources; trust will then be higher and the awareness of human activities and goals. Social connections can increase more through leisure by having the funds to provide multiple activities to participate in and which leads to create better social connections

Technology positively and negatively effect social capital Positive: allows for people to form social capital with people in networks otherwise too small Can link to more networks through technology then in person Stay in touch with more people Negative: People spend a lot of time home on one of their many devices Texting or emailing instead of making face-to-face meetings The connection between people is not as deep as it once was Positive: The Internet allows for people to form social capital with people in networks otherwise too small. It enables people to connect with more people and create larger networks Social media helps people stay connected with people they may not have stayed in touch with otherwise, such as former coworkers, distant family members, or old family friends. Negative: People spend a lot of time at home sitting watching TV or browsing the Internet instead of interacting with other people. Smart phones can be disruptive because people will spend time texting and on social media instead of interacting with other people in person. The connection between people is not as deep as if they met and interacted in person

Social capital and leisure are connected in various ways Leisure activities can create social networks, and these networks are often helpful in creating social capital. This could lead to high funds for a recreation and park budget. People in the same leisure activities usually share the same norms and values Sharing the same values leads to civic engagement Technology has affected social capital and its link to leisure People sharing the same norms, values, attitudes and opinions will tend to trust each other more leading to civic engagement Technology has effected the link between social capital and leisure due to diminishing social connections. You can go to online chat rooms, emails, texting and so forth but this is not the same connections you would receive in person.