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- Title
What role for social capital in family policy?
- Authors
Stone, Wendy; Hughes, Jody
- Abstract
The article discusses the role for social capital in family policy. Simply as networks of social relations--social capital can be understood quite characterized by norms of trust and reciprocity. The essence of social capital is quality social relations. It is the quality of relationships, understood through the use of the concept "social capital," which affects the capacity of people to come together to collectively resolve problems they face in common, and achieve outcomes of mutual benefit. Thus, social capital can be understood as a resource to collective action, which may lead to a broad range of outcomes, of varying social scale. Understanding social capital in this way enables it to be seen in relatively neutral terms. In this light, social capital promises something for everyone--at least in theory. Government, business, the community and family life can all be said to benefit from environments rich in social capital, in ways outlined below. As is demonstrated throughout this paper, however, the potential benefits of social capital--and the effectiveness of policy facilitation of these benefits--are threatened by a gulf which exists between social capital theory, and the ways in which social capital is typically researched and/or featured in public policy. This gulf may ultimately result in a failure to realize the benefits of social capital, or even in the destruction of existing social capital through misdirected social capital policy interventions.
- Subjects
SOCIAL capital; FAMILIES; INTERPERSONAL relations; POWER (Social sciences); FAMILY policy; PUBLIC welfare; SOCIOLOGY
- Publication
Family Matters, 2000, Issue 56, p20
- ISSN
1030-2646
- Publication type
Article