Social and health capital in Northern Ireland

This paper will discuss findings from Department of Health, Northern Ireland, (DHSSNI) funded ethnographic research which looked at health and the assessment of related need in two small rural towns in Northern Ireland (one Catholic and one Protestant). The initial study conducted in 1996-7 addressed a series of interrelated issues which influenced health and health status. This included detailing local resources, perceived needs, local cultural practices, health beliefs (lay and professional) and health behaviours. A primary reading of the data suggested that, in terms of major health concerns, health perceptions and health problems, the similarities in both communities were more striking than observed differences. This discussion presents findings from a closer analysis of the data. It suggests that over and above structural and environmental considerations, there was a complex interaction of influences on health and social well-being for both communities and it suggests important differences.