Paper
Thursday, July 22, 2004
An Explanatory Theory of Social Capital
Elizabeth Carlson, DSN, RN1, Joan Engebretson, RN, DrPH2, and Robert M. Chamberlain, PhD1. (1) Department of Epidemiology, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA, (2) School of Nursing, UTHSC-Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| Learning Objective #1: Distinguish social capital as a dynamic cultural norm that has potential for change through participatory methods |
| Learning Objective #2: Distinguish the cultural components of the theory and relevance for any group process with culturally diverse members |
Objective: Social capital, a relatively new public health concept, represents the intangible resources embedded in social relationships that facilitate collective action. However, in order for social capital to function as a meaningful research variable, conceptual development aimed at refining the domains, attributes, and boundaries of the concept are needed. The purpose of this program of research was to develop a more mature grounding of the concept for public health intervention and research. Concept: An existing framework of social capital (Uphoff, 2000) was selected for congruence with the inductive analysis of pilot data from an African American community that was unsuccessful at mobilizing collective action. Design: A formal ethnographic research study was designed to examine the components of social capital in a community that had successfully mobilized collective action. The specific aim of the study was to examine the fittingness of Uphoff’s framework of social capital in an American community. Population: A contrasting context was purposefully selected to distinguish essential attributes of social capital. The setting was a small, rural, predominantly White community in the southern United States. Sampling selected various organizational entities within the community for study. Formal fieldwork was conducted during a two-week period in June 2003. Methods: Ethnographic data collection methods included participant observation, formal interviews, and public documents. Findings: Although Uphoff’s framework was useful, refinement of the framework resulted in the emergence of an explanatory theory of social capital that was supported by research findings. Conclusions: Social capital is the combination of the cultural norms of the community and the group that are either constructive or destructive to the development of trust and the efficacy of mutually beneficial collective action Implications: The explanatory theory of social capital that evolved holds pragmatic utility for public health research and practice that seeks to address health disparities through participatory methods.
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