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Revisiting Declines in Social Capital: Evidence from a New Measure
Inbar Weiss1, Pamela Paxton1, Kristopher Velasco1
1Department of Sociology, Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, 305 E 23rd St, A 1700, CLA 3.306, Austin, TX 78712-1086, USA.
Social Indicators Research
|February 12, 2024
Summary
Associational social capital in America has not declined since 2008, contrary to earlier concerns. While a brief dip occurred during the Great Recession, group membership and neighborly interactions remain stable.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Social Capital Research
- American Social Trends
Background:
- Concerns about declining social capital in America emerged in the late twentieth century.
- Empirical research on social capital decline stalled after 2004 due to data limitations.
- The status of associational social capital in the twenty-first century remained largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel measurement for associational social capital.
- To assess trends in associational social capital in the United States from 2008 to 2013.
- To update the understanding of social capital dynamics in contemporary America.
Main Methods:
- Developed a new measure of associational social capital.
- Utilized confirmatory factor analysis on six indicators from the Civic Engagement Supplement to the Current Population Survey (2008-2011, 2013).
- Analyzed trends and variance in social capital over the specified period.
Main Results:
- Findings suggest associational social capital has not declined over time, aligning with some prior research.
- A nonlinear decrease in social association was observed during the Great Recession.
- Group membership and time spent with neighbors showed minimal change; national dispersion of social capital remained stable (2008-2013).
Conclusions:
- The study advances the measurement of associational social capital.
- Evidence indicates associational social capital is not in a state of decline.
- Social capital dynamics experienced a temporary, nonlinear dip during the Great Recession.
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