Conceptualising social capital in relation to the well-being of children and young people: a critical review

Abstract

[...] This [chapter] explores some of the origins, definitions and applications of the notion of social capital as it relates to children1. It suggests that social capital is an elusive concept that is currently poorly specified, and that the use of the term is inherently problematic, and needs to be carefully critiqued and empirically grounded before it can be usefully applied in social policy formulations. Given the apparent emphasis on elements of social capital in recent government policy statements, we need to know (a) what it is, and whether or not it is a positive attribute, (b) how or if it can be measured and (c) if it is a positive attribute, how it can be generated. [...] The notion of ‘social capital’ as it related to children was developed most systematically by Coleman in the US (1988, 1990). Coleman was a key social theorist, who was influential in policy making, and much of his later theorising was based on his work published in 1961, The adolescent society:The social life of the teenager and its impact on education. This was based on a study of students from 10 high schools in the Chicago area, and Coleman paints a picture of a wide divide between generations. He found that young people were highly likely to be influenced by their peers on a range of issues, including social participation, social leadership and club membership. Further, he found that students were generally anti-intellectual, and tended to see disapproval from friends as more important that disapproval from parents or teachers.