Humans are a social organism, we have evolved to be social. Working together for a collective action is hardwired into us. We want to help, share, and give to each other and receive in kind. Many things that we want , and need, cannot be created simply by our own efforts, so require some form of collaboration or reciprocity. The benefits we derive from that sociability we could call social capital. Social capital arises from the human capacity to consider others to think and act generously and cooperatively. The concept of social capital relates to important questions of human behaviour and motivation such as why people give or help others even when there is no foreseeable benefit for themselves. The central preposition of social capital is that relationships matter and that social networks are a valuable asset.

1. THE CONCEPT OF SOCIAL
CAPITALAND ITS
IMPLICATIONS
Owondo Thomas

2. INTRODUCTION
 Humans are a social organism, we have evolved to be social.
Working together for a collective action is hardwired into us. We
want to help, share, and give to each other and receive in kind.
 Many things that we want , and need, cannot be created simply by
our own efforts, so require some form of collaboration or
reciprocity. The benefits we derive from that sociability we could call
social capital. Social capital arises from the human capacity to
consider others to think and act generously and cooperatively.
 The concept of social capital relates to important questions of
human behaviour and motivation such as why people give or help
others even when there is no foreseeable benefit for themselves.
 The central preposition of social capital is that relationships matter
and that social networks are a valuable asset.

3. INTRODUCTION
 Social capital is "the networks of relationships among people who live and
work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively".
 It involves the effective functioning of social groups through
 interpersonal relationships,
 a shared sense of identity,
 a shared understanding,
 shared norms and values
 trust, cooperation, and reciprocity

4. CONCEPT OF SOCIAL CAPITAL
 The concept of social capital became prominent through the work
of Putnam and colleagues.
 It was initially applied to political science pertaining to shared
values and local networks. Bourdieu in 1986 addressed social capital
on the level of individuals.
 Today, there are various definitions of social capital:
 “The capital of social connection, mutual acquittance and social
recognition”. (Bourdieu 1986)
 “All those features of the social structure that might facilitate
actions of individuals within the social structure itself”. (Coleman
1988)
 “Features of social organization, such as trust, norms, and networks
that can improve the efficiency of society by facilitating coordinated
actions” (Putnam and colleagues)

5. CONCEPT OF SOCIAL CAPITAL
 Social capital is a measure of the value of resources;
 tangible (e.g., public spaces, private property)
 intangible (e.g., actors, human capital, people),
 the impact that these relationships have on the resources involved
in each relationship, and on larger groups.
 The most fundamental stance about the concept of social capital is
to view it as social resource ; it implies the links and support that
individuals can access at a particular time.
 It is generally seen as a form of capital that produces public goods
for a common purpose.

6. CONCEPT OF SOCIAL CAPITAL
 In simplifying the concept of social capital, four main theoretical ingredients can
be identified:
 social trust/reciprocity,
 collective efficacy,
 voluntary social participation and
 social cohesion (or sense of belonging)

7. CONCEPT OF SOCIAL CAPITAL
 Groups and Networks (voluntary social participation )
 Organizational support and network activities are crucial for bridging and linking
social capital. Engagements of people to organize themselves and mobilize resources
to solve problems of common interest. The effectiveness of groups and networks and
the extent to which they can help disseminate information, reduce opportunistic
behavior and facilitate collective decision-making depends upon many aspects of
these groups, reflecting their structure, their membership and the way they function.
 Trust and Solidarity (social trust/reciprocity)
 These informal and subjective elements of interpersonal behavior shape people’s
thoughts and attitudes about interacting with others. When individuals in
communities trust each other and the institutions that operate among them, they can
easily reach agreements and conduct transactions.

8. CONCEPT OF SOCIAL CAPITAL
 Collective Action and Cooperation (collective efficacy)
 The provision of many services requires collective action by a group of
individuals. The purposes of collective action may differ widely across
communities. In some places, collective action consists primarily of community-
organized activities for building and maintaining infrastructure and for providing
related public services.
 Social Cohesion and Inclusion (sense of belonging)
 Social cohesion manifests in individuals who are willing and able to work
together to address common needs, overcome constraints, and consider diverse
interests. They are able to resolve differences in a civil, non-confrontational way.

9. TYPES OF SOCIAL CAPITAL

10. TYPES OF SOCIAL CAPITAL
 Bonding Capital - Refers to resources that are accessed from ones closest most
homogeneous relationship. Its often associated with trust, shared norms being part of a
dense network of connections.
 It is used among family and close friends to reinforce existing, close relationships. People
with these relationships respect a common hierarchy, contact each other frequently, and
share common values.
 Bridging Capital - Includes resources mostly coming from weaker ties. Weak ties comes
from participation in diverse loosely connected networks.
 Bridging SC is tended to relate to activities like volunteering and civic engagement. It is
used among acquaintances to become closer to people. Eg. Facebook leverages bridging
capital.
 When new acquaintances meet, they connect and they seek to increase the frequency of
their interactions primarily through the news feed to build more mutual bridging capital
and ultimately a friendship. Bridging capital knows no notion of hierarchy within a group.
All friends are equal in standing. Instead it relies on homogeneity of the people interacting
and increasing frequency of contact.

11. TYPES OF SOCIAL CAPITAL
 Linking Capital - It can be forward (coordination with high level people) or
backward (coordination with lower level of people). It is used among members
of voluntary organizations including employees of the same company. The
hierarchy underpinning the relationships in linking capital is critical to manage,
because it can alter the social dynamics quite a bit.

12. SOCIAL CAPITAL AND HEALTH
 Social capital has been described as a major determinant of health. While many
studies have shown the positive effects of social capital on health in both
developed and developing worlds.
 Generally, group solidarity and memberships often provide some support,
which will invariably facilitate access to valued resources.
 Informal health care and support can be provided in case of illness. Reciprocal
support and assistance are part of the bedrock of extended family and
communal relationships in African societies.
 Social capital in most health studies is often operationalised in terms of civic
engagement or grassroots participation, neighbourliness, social networks,
social support, informal social control and perception of the local area.

13. SOCIAL CAPITAL AND HEALTH
 It is practically beneficial for individuals to feel some level of social connection with
others. Such sense of belonging is crucial in mediating state of physical and mental
health.
 Pearce and Smith (2003) observed that indicators of social capital, such as trust and
sense of belonging are strongly related to mortality rates.
 Social capital is not a homogenous resource equally available to all members of a
geographical community, but is shaped and constrained by factors such as gender,
ethnicity and social class.
 Social capital also involves social leverage, which means the use network ties
(especially social influence) for social gains including access to information and social
mobility.
 Informal social control is the ability of individuals or groups (with some form of social
links) to ensure conformity to the norms and values of the society—this implies
informal measures of behavior control.

14. SOCIAL CAPITAL AND HEALTH

15. IMPLICATIONS OF SOCIAL CAPITAL
1. Improved access to relevant health information.
 The more extensive an individual’s social interaction (for example,
via frequent contact with friends and relatives, participation in social
events and meetings, and membership in formal and informal
organizations) and the more involved someone is in continuous
social interaction, the more likely and less costly he/she can access
information on:
 how to cure or prevent diseases,
 what the best remedies are, and
 where the best hospital or the most qualified physician is.

16. IMPLICATIONS OF SOCIAL CAPITAL
2. Informal health care and support can be provided in case of illness.
 Even in developed countries, where formal health care is ubiquitous,
there still exists a substantial demand for informal care and assistance,
housing services and babysitting in case of temporary illness
 This could take the form of reciprocal assistance between neighbors or
friends, acting as risk-sharing devices to supplement formal health
insurance.
 In less developed countries, these agreements are even more
widespread, given that the formal care system is far less developed
than in rich countries.

17. IMPLICATION OF SOCIAL CAPITAL
3. In the political economy mechanism, well-organized, connected
groups are more effective in lobbying for potentially health promoting
public goods.
 At a more aggregate level, social capital may also serve to
coordinate people’s efforts to lobby public authorities to obtain
potentially health promoting public goods, for example, health
infrastructure, traffic regulations, sport facilities and green space
areas.
 The level of aggregation cannot be too high, as different
communities within a larger region can have opposite views on the
proper location for and cost of these facilities.

18. POTENTIAL NEGATIVE IMPLICATIONS OF
IMPLICATION OF SOCIAL CAPITAL
 Social capital can lead to health disparities, as certain groups may have less access
to social networks, resources, and information that can promote health. This can
be seen in communities where there is a lack of social connections, which can lead
to lack of access to healthcare, healthy foods, and opportunities for physical
activity.
 Social capital can also lead to the reinforcement of negative health behaviors, as
people tend to rely on their social networks for information and inspiration about
health behaviors. For example, if the majority of individuals in a social network
smoke, the members of that network are more likely to continue or start smoking
than those who have a social network where majority do not smoke.

19. POTENTIAL NEGATIVE IMPLICATIONS OF
IMPLICATION OF SOCIAL CAPITAL
 Social capital can also lead to stigmatization of certain health conditions,
as people with certain health conditions may be excluded from social
networks or face discrimination because of their condition. For example,
individuals living with HIV/AIDS may face discrimination and exclusion
from certain social networks, which can lead to reduced access to
resources and support that can promote health.
 Social capital can also lead to the spread of misinformation, as people
tend to rely on their social networks for information about health. If the
information within the network is inaccurate, it can lead to individuals
making poor health decisions or delaying to seek medical attention.

20. CONCLUSION
 There is considerable evidence of an association between social capital and
various indicators of health.
 Irrespective of their social status, people with higher levels of social capital
especially in terms of social participation and networks – engage in
healthier behaviors and feel healthier both physically and psychologically.
 Social capital exerts a contextual effect on individual health which include ;
 diffusion of knowledge on health promotion,
 maintenance of healthy behavioral norms through informal social control.
 promotion of access to local services and amenities,
 psychological processes that provide affective support and mutual respect

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22. Thank you for listening