Social Capital & Health
Lecture Outcome
• Brief discussions from previous lecture Bangladesh’s achievements in health
• Today’s Discussion
What is Social Capital How can we measure SC Criminology & Health Causes of Crime
Morbidity, mortality and some social phenomena
Social Capital
• Social capital is one of the determinants of health.
• Many recent studies have
explored the links between social capital and health. Social capital may contribute directly to health or may result in policies that are more supportive of healthy
outcomes.
What is Social Capital?
• Social capital refers to the institutions, relationships and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a
society’s social interactions.
(World Bank, 2001)
Social capital is the glue
• Social capital is not just the sum of the institutions which underpin a society – it is the glue that holds them
together.
How is it Measured?
• Social capital as a social determinant of health is measured with non-medical
indicators. For example, Key indicators
Trust
Civic engagement
Social network
Social cohesion
Income distribution
Social Capital and Crime
3 dominant theoretical perspectives
• 1) Social disorganization: lack of social control
• 2) Anomie: weakening of behavioural norms
• 3) Strain theory: lack of opportunities Geographic areas with ↑ levels of social
capital have lower homicide rates. High
homicide rates may undermine social trust and civic engagement
Crimie and Health
Health status is affected by
socioeconomic status → people
from low socioeconomic classes
are over-represented in prison →
health condition is also affected
by the prison context (they live
and work with people carrying
infectious diseases)
Causes of Crime
Conditions that make crime more likely:
• Poverty
• Wealth
• Drug abuse
Morbidity, Mortality Rates and..
• Sociologists find morbidity rates useful
because they reveal that a specific disease occurs more frequently among one
segment of a population then another.
Social Class
• Clearly associated with differences in morbidity and mortality rates.
• Why is social class linked to health ? Crowded living conditions,
substandard housing, poor diet,
stress,
limited education, workplace, etc.
