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Social capital: a strategy for enhancing health?
1Department of Political Science and Sociology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland. ricca.edmondson@nuigalway.ie
Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|September 2, 2003
Summary
Social capital, a source of health support, is complex and culturally diverse. Promoting it through policy requires careful consideration of social contexts and moral debate, not just social engineering.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Public Health
- Health Policy
Background:
- Social capital is discussed as a health support mechanism.
- Its application in policy is debated, requiring moral and political discussion.
- Social capital's complexity and cultural diversity challenge neutral policy strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To support the argument for moral and political debate in health policy regarding social capital.
- To explore the complex and culturally diverse nature of social capital.
- To examine the paradox of social capital being seen as positive yet threatened in neoliberal societies.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of ethnographic material illustrating social relatedness.
- Examination of social contexts, cultures, and structures.
- Critique of social capital promotion via social engineering in neoliberal institutions.
Main Results:
- Social capital components vary significantly across different social contexts and cultures.
- Neoliberal societies present paradoxes where social capital is both associated with and threatened by societal structures.
- Neoliberal organizational processes hinder the development of social trust and relatedness.
Conclusions:
- Social capital's promotion via social engineering within neoliberal institutions is questionable.
- Further research on social relatedness is needed for effective public policy support.
- Health policy must engage in moral and political debate, acknowledging social capital's nuanced nature.