Social capital and health.
Social capital refers to bonds between individuals, both in intimate relationships (primary groups) and in voluntary associations (secondary groups) that make it possible for individuals and groups to achieve a variety of goals. Such bonds have also been claimed to have health promoting effects. In this chapter, I review a variety of empirical studies at both levels of analysis and suggest that the results are mixed, much depending upon the context in which such relationships occur.
Kunitz
Stephen J
SJ
Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA. Stephen_Kunitz@urmc.rochester.edu
D017028:Caregivers; D003468:Cultural Evolution; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D014507:Urbanization