Industrial Pollution, Social Trust, and Civic Engagement: A Nationwide Study of the Socioenvironmental Nature of Social Capital

2022 ◽  
pp. 073112142110677
Author(s):  
Phylicia Xin Yi Lee Brown
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Industrial Pollution ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Toxic Release Inventory

I conduct a nationwide investigation of the relationship that toxic industrial pollution and the facilities that produce it have with trust and civic engagement within communities. Data on pollution exposure come from the Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators Geographic Microdata (RSEI-GM) and Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data sets for the years 1995 to 1999. Data on trust and civic engagement come from the 2000 restricted-access Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey (SCCBS). Statistical analyses provide strong support for Freudenburg and Jones’ conceptualization of corrosive communities and indicate that exposures to more toxic air pollution associate negatively with various measures of trust, and that increased numbers of TRI facilities associate negatively with various measures of civic engagement. The implication is that exposure to toxic industrial air pollution and the facilities that produce it not only adversely affect the physical health of nearby communities, but also their social well-being and underlying capacities for collective action.

Cyber Behavior and Social Capital

2012 ◽  
pp. 1063-1073
Author(s):  
Tetsuro Kobayashi
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Intellectual History ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Mobile Phone Use ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter reviews historical development of research on cyber behavior and social capital, based on the definition by Robert D. Putnam, by focusing on the relationship between Information Communication and Technology use with social networks, civic engagement, as well as social trust. Firstly, the intellectual history of studies on cyber behavior and social capital is reviewed. Secondly, important past studies on the relationship between ICT use and social capital are focused from four perspectives: social networks, civic engagement, local community, and mobile phone use. Finally, future research directions are discussed from the perspective of comparative culture and rapidly evolving high-functionality smart phones.

scholarly journals Social Capital, Trust, and Well-Being in the Evaluation of Wealth

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirk Hamilton ◽  
John F. Helliwell ◽  
Michael Woolcock
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Empirical Analysis ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Physical Capital ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Gallup World Poll ◽  
Total Wealth

This chapter combines theory with data from different domains to provide an empirical analysis of the scale and variability of social capital as wealth. This is used to argue, given the existing literature on social capital, that the welfare returns to investing in trust could be substantial. Social trust data from 132 nations covered by the Gallup World Poll are used to present a range of estimates of social trust’s wealth-equivalent values. These estimates are very large, with a structure and distribution quite different from those for physical capital. They reflect values above and beyond what social trust contributes to supporting incomes and health. Although social trust is an important component of total wealth in all regions and country groupings, there are nonetheless big variations within and among regions, ranging from as low as 12 per cent of total wealth in Latin America to 28 per cent in the OECD.

scholarly journals SOCIAL CAPITAL, TRUST, AND MULTIPLE EQUILIBRIA IN ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 282-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Growiec ◽  
Jakub Growiec
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Economic Performance ◽  
Multiple Equilibria ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Contemporary Literature ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Bridging Social Capital ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
High Equilibrium

We propose a novel mechanism giving rise to poverty traps and multiple equilibria in economic performance. It is a potentially important source of persistent underdevelopment across countries and regions. At the core of this mechanism, bridging social capital and social trust feed back on each other, interdependently affecting individuals' earnings and subjective well-being. High trust and abundant bridging social capital reinforce each other, leading to a “high” equilibrium where both these variables take persistently high values, and earnings and well-being are high as well, whereas low trust and lack of bridging social capital create a vicious circle, leading to a “low trust trap” where all these variables are persistently low. The workings of our theoretical model are in agreement with a wide range of findings from the contemporary literature in sociology and social psychology.

Competence, social capital, and life adjustment

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 471-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory S. Pettit ◽  
W. Andrew Collins
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Special Section ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Developmental Transitions ◽  
Longitudinal Methods ◽  
Healthy Functioning ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Behavioral Perspective

In this Introduction, we highlight key themes in the conceptualization and measurement of social capital, drawing attention to its developmental roots, manifestations, and implications for health and well-being across the life course. Longitudinal methods are uniquely suited for charting pathways to and from social capital and for elucidating intermediate and proximal mechanisms that may explain its emergence and its role in healthy functioning. The four empirical articles in the Special Section make use of well-known longitudinal data sets to examine vertical and horizontal dimensions of social capital within and across critical developmental transitions. Collectively, the articles situate the construct of social capital within a behavioral perspective and shed new light on the nature and effectiveness of social relationships in the development of individual competence.

scholarly journals Woolly Stories: An Art-Based Narrative Approach to Place Attachment

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-253
Author(s):  
Kendra D. Stiwich ◽  
Lindsay, J. McCunn ◽  
Chantey Dayal
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Elementary School ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Place Attachment ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Narrative Approach ◽  
Social Connection ◽  
Parent Population

When people join an institution, no assurance of positive social connection exists. The mechanisms of psychological attachment to institutions are not well understood. However, place attachment is a predictor of individual well-being and, when correlated with life satisfaction and neighborhood ties, can enhance civic engagement and social trust. Research suggests that narratives can be a symbolic mechanism of place attachment. Thus, to increase place attachment in the parent population at a small elementary school,  various art-based narrative activities were carried out as part of the OurSchoolOurStories project. Creating a storied blanket was one activity. Seven women needle-felted nine squares with the theme of representing some aspect of what the school meant to them. In a circle, they shared many stories including where they came from, how they came to be at the school, and their experiences at the school. Through these artistic narratives, participants were able to share much about their place identities, which allowed for social connection, and a sense of integration within the group.

scholarly journals Psychological Changes and Cancer Occurrence of Citizens Due to Changes in Concentration Before Seoul Fine Dust Policy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kil Yong Choi ◽  
Wonho Yang
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Particulate Matter ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Urban Air Pollution ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Fine Dust

Background: Particulate matter and urban air pollution affect the human body and can lead to death. Epidemiological studies should consider the exposure to pollutants and the diverse responses of individuals depending on their sensitivity to the pollutants. Methods: In this study, air pollution measurements were obtained hourly at measuring stations operated by the national and local governments to increase the reliability of the measured values. A β-ray absorption method was used to analyze the measurements of fine dust and determine the particulate matter content. Results: The air pollution data were log-converted to enable the comparison of data from different time periods. The comparison was made, focusing on the period of Seoul's fine dust policy. As a result, the cancer incidence rate also decreased after the policy. The data on individual characteristics were obtained from a survey of Seoul citizens conducted from 2015 to 2016 and using indicators such as the quality of life and social trust of Seoul citizens. Concludions: The survey on the living environment and residence indicated that 80% of the heads of households were men. Women had a greater dissatisfaction than men with the residential, economic, and social environments. The survey questions on well-being were related to the internal and external environment such as air pollution, noise, and fine dust.

scholarly journals Did States With More Social Capital Pre-pandemic Offer Mental Health Protection During the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Cross-sectional View

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim Nichols Dauner ◽  
Neil A. Wilmot
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
State Level ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Policies And Programs

Abstract Background: Mental health has declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, and social capital, as a determinant of health, may serve to buffer those declines. Methods: Building from this, we assessed whether pre-pandemic social capital, which included indicators of social trust, civic participation, and the presence of mask mandates affected pandemic mental health, measured as the percent of the population experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety at the state level. Results: Generalized social trust and state mask mandates were significantly associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety. Conversely, states with greater civic engagement prior to the pandemic experienced more anxiety and depression.Conclusions: Findings suggest that existing social capital, particularly social trust, may protect against anxiety and depression and contribute to community resilience during times of adversity. States should invest in policies and programs that increase social trust.

scholarly journals The Influence of Income and Social Capital on the Subjective Well-Being of Elderly Chinese People, Based on a Panel Survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junhong Zhu ◽  
Changyong Liang ◽  
Jeffery Lucas ◽  
Wenjuan Cheng ◽  
Zhaoyang Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Relative Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Rural Elderly ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Subjective Well Being

China has undergone many economic changes in the past four decades, and has seen an imbalance in economic development between rural and urban regions. Meanwhile, it also has an aging population. Using panel data on 3590 elderly residents aged between 60 and 95 in 28 provinces in China in 2015, this study explored older adults’ subjective well-being in terms of income, relative income, and social capital. The ordinary least square (OLS) regression results showed that the effect of actual income on subjective well-being was weak, and relative income and social capital had a significant effect on the happiness of urban and rural residents; however, there were substantial differences between urban and rural areas associated with economic inequality, social context, social security, and demographic characteristics. Expanding income inequality is contributing to decreased happiness of the rural elderly, while higher social trust and social interaction mitigate this negative influence. This paper also verified that relative income has a mediating or moderating effect on income and the subjective well-being of urban and rural elderly people. The evidence indicates that the Chinese government should pay more attention to reducing the income gap between and within urban and rural groups, and take advantage of social capital to improve the subjective well-being of the elderly population.

Examination of the Moderating Role of Household Income in the Association Between Cognitive Social Capital and Subjective Well-Being Among Rural Older Adults in Northeast China

2021 ◽  
pp. 016402752110290
Author(s):  
Jingyue Zhang ◽  
Yipeng Tian ◽  
Nan Lu
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Rural Community ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Cognitive Social Capital ◽  
The Relationship

The present study explored the moderating effects of household income on the relationship between cognitive social capital and subjective well-being in rural community-dwelling older adults in China. The data were derived from a rural community survey conducted in Liaoyuan City in China’s Jilin Province in 2019. The analytic model featured 458 respondents who completed the survey. We used multiple group analyses to test the hypotheses. A latent construct of cognitive social capital was built using social trust and reciprocity indicators. The results showed that household income had a significant moderating effect on the association between cognitive social capital and life satisfaction, but not on the relationship between cognitive social capital and depressive symptoms. Thus, household income and cognitive social capital should be used to assess subjective well-being in older populations. Older adults with low household income deserve particular attention in the design of future social capital policies and programs.

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