title: The measurement of social capital.
abstract: Social capital has been defined as the resources available to individuals and groups through membership in social networks. The definition is consistent with either an individualistic approach, i.e. resources (such as information or instrumental assistance) that are accessed by individuals through their network connections; or a collective approach, e.g. the benefits accruing to members of a group - such as the ability of a community to engage in collective action - as a consequence of the existence of cohesive relationships. While research often restricts itself to a single level of analysis, the benefits (and downsides) of social capital accrue to both the individual as well as to the network to which he belongs. In the Dictionary of Epidemiology both the individual and collective levels of analysis were recognized in the definition of social capital.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, United States. Electronic address: ester.villalonga@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ester
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Villalonga-Olives
authors.affiliation: Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, United States.
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kawachi
mesh_terms: D004813:Epidemiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D066270:Social Capital; D012944:Social Support; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035502:Trust
keywords: Capital social; Encuestas de salud; Epidemiology; Epidemiología; Health surveys; Social capital