National Service and Volunteerism by Thomas A. Bryer

Author:Thomas A. Bryer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: undefined
Publisher: Lexington Books
Published: 2012-04-16T04:00:00+00:00

Social Capital and Human Capital

Research that examines the relationship between social capital and human capital in tandem demonstrates that social capital and human capital are interdependent, meaning that human capital appears to foster social capital, and social capital appears to result in human capital (Ainsworth 2002; Crowder and Sout 2003; Gezinski 2011; Halpern 2005; Lin 2001). Because of the interconnectedness between asset types (Emery and Flora 2006), civic engagement that might build one type of asset in isolation may be misleading in terms of its effect on the economic mobility of low-income individuals (Moser 2007). The reciprocal effects of asset accumulation are also hypothesized to flow both ways, such that relationships between assets and outcomes may simultaneously affect and interact with each other (Lerman and McKernan 2008). Specifically, social capital and human capital may be intertwined when considering three important issues related to civic engagement and economic mobility among low-income individuals.

First, research demonstrates social capital and human capital assets are often accrued as a “non-purposeful”[32] byproduct or spillover effect of the pursuit of civic engagement. That is, an actor may accrue social capital or human capital when the purpose of his or her action is to accomplish some other objective (Merton 1936; Coleman 1990). In the case of civic engagement, making a connection or learning a new skill may be a byproduct of organizing a political rally or tutoring a child. These spillover effects from generating social and human capital assets are consistent with Sherraden’s (1991) explanation of the “welfare effects” from asset-based policies.

Second, it is important to consider how different types of civic engagement may influence social and human capital acquisition, as asset accumulation is a dynamic and context-specific process (Elmelech 2006; Moser 2007). While some types of civic engagement are more passive and require little interaction with people (e.g., donating money, voting), other types are more active and involve more collaborative action (e.g., volunteering, collective action in a neighborhood) (Adler and Goggin 2005; Jones 2006; Putnam 2000; Sampson 2012). Consequently, some types of civic engagement might provide access to more social and human capital, while others might provide access to less. According to Putnam (1993, 1995), the effects of more passive types of civic engagement on social capital are thought to be weak or absent compared to the effects of more active types of civic engagement where individuals must interact face-to-face. However, Wollebaek and Selle (2002) find that active participation is not necessary for the formation of social capital, particulalry if an individual has been involved with multiple organizations or participated in this passive activity for a long period of time. Therefore, a closer examination of the ways varying types of civic engagement develop and provide access to social and human capital for low-income individuals may help explain the relationship between civic engagement and economic mobility.

Finally, it is important to understand the conditions under which assets can be most effectively accrued in a civic engagement activity. Social and human capital assets such as making connections or learning a new skill-set may depend on how people interact with others (e.

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