Evaluating Cognitive Social Capital : The roles of trust and reciprocity in health research
Year: 2017
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Social capital has become one of the most popular and controversial imports from the social sciences into public health. Although offering the potential for valuable insights into the social determinants of health, the vague and ambiguous definitions of what constitutes social resources has attracted significant criticisms. Providing a broad and theoretically inclusive approach, many scholars have categorized these resources into two domain-specific dimensions: structural (network-based) and cognitive social capital. Cognitive social capital is assessed through attitudinal measures such as perceived trust and reciprocity and is assumed to be indicative of the extent individuals engage in social exchange. Based on this assumption, researchers utilize measures of trust and reciprocity as either proxies of social capital when more precise measures are unavailable or as subjective components of the social capital construct. Yet, little research has empirically substantiated the validity of such practices. Through analyses of the 2008 Canadian General Social Survey, my findings indicate that a) there is little empirical support for the idea of a unified, cognitive dimension of social capital, b) measures of trust and reciprocity are inadequate proxies for social ties and c) trust and reciprocity are conceptually distinct from network-based social capital in their associations with health. While these concerns mostly translate to questions of definitions, there are important methodological and theoretical implications to consider. If health research on social capital instead utilized measures of actual social ties, the ambiguity clouding the concept could be cleared and the causes, correlates and consequences conceptualized with greater explanatory power and precision.
Author: Daniel St John
Language: English
Topic: Social Capital and Networks
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2766202224