Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Your thoughts on social capital
I’d like you start today’s class by reflecting on the idea of “social capital” that Robert Putman discusses in the first chapter of our reading for today. In your own words, how would you describe what social capital is? How do you think you’ve benefited from social capital in your life so far? How does volunteering (either at Project Angel Heart or at other organizations) enrich social capital, either for you or for the people the organization serves?
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Social capital is the process of making relationships amongst other individuals and organizations. More commonly this seems to be known as networking or relationship building. This is essential in nearly everything we do, because it is our relationships that ultimately determine where we get into college, where we land our first job, and even who we may marry. “Life is a relationship business.” Nearly everything in life is dependent on making relationships and maintaining those connections that you build with other people and organizations.
Throughout my 18 years I have subconsciously experienced many instances of social capital. The most prominent example can be seen in obtaining internships. I recently got an internship at a marketing firm near my home in Illinois. The primary reason that I got this position is not because of my resume, but rather due to the professional relationship that my dad has built with the company. It was because of him, and the work that they help him with, that I was ultimately able to get a summer job.
Volunteering at Project Angel Heart and other organizations enrich social engineering because it enables us as volunteers to meet new people, people we would not normally encounter. This builds our character, understanding, and develops a more enhanced and sophisticated outlook on life. Principally, it is for this reason that volunteering is such an integral part of human development. Also, volunteering help the people that the organization serves. The volunteers have the capacity to meet and develop relationships with the people being served, thus establishing a relationship. This too is networking and friendship building, which has the capacity to enhance what could otherwise be one’s socially desolate life.
In my own words I would explain social capital as the social connections we as individuals make with other people of like social backgrounds. If people are similar to others then they have a strong likeliness to make their own social groups. The resources these groups have may then become isolated to their own group network. I think I have benefited from this social capital mostly in the schools and school system I have been included in my whole life. By going to a school whose social class was primarily middle-upper class I was always given the opportunity to get a good education and to attend a good school. If I was part of say, the inner-city social group where the school systems are not as well off, I may not have had the opportunity to go to a school as prestigious as the University of Denver.
I think by volunteering at Project Angel Heart we enrich social capital because we are then able to step outside of our social confinements and help others outside of our social circles. It enriches our communities in a way that we now we are helping other individuals that are not quite as fortunate as we are. By helping them out we are able to get a better understanding of how well off we are and in turn we help other communities. By helping these other communities we are able to strengthen all the social circles, and make our communities stronger.
I would describe social capital as the opportunity and positive aspects that a different social networks and interactions provide for society's individuals.
I have benefited from social capital in a variety of ways which Putnam calls "the bonding capital", which would encompass my networks with in groups of friends, peers, and coworkers--people that are like me.
Moreover, I have also, and increasingly continue to gain from "the bridging capital", which encompasses my interactions and social networks with people not like me--maybe they have different opinions, or maybe they just have completely different lifestyles.
Volunteering for Project Angel Heart has enriched both of these "capitals"--bonding, and bridging, for me. My bonding social network that includes my classmates has increased in quality as I experience different volunteering and academic activities with them. If it weren't for service learning this quarter, I doubt I would have made these bonds with my peers. Additionally, my bridging capital has been enhanced. For instance, yesterday, my group and I interviewed a volunteer for Project Angel Heart, and listened to his experiences and stories. He clearly, has lived a much different life from us, and we aware able to get some insight on it. Today, I am going to training for Dining Out for Life, and I can confidently say that I will interact with many people unlike myself, volunteering for all different reasons.
I would describe social capital as the connections people make that foster networking and friendships. In the article, it describes that there are many shapes and sizes with different uses of social capital. I have benefited from social capital, specifically networking, in my employment opportunities so far. Many of the baby-sitting and house sitting jobs i have had resulted from an acquaintance of mine or my parents. Trust is a major factor in employment. People looking to hire someone will more likely hire someone who they can trust and finding someone through social networks is one way to accomplish that.
Volunteering at an organization, especially for long periods of time, can create social networks and connections that can be useful in whatever pursuits a person is attempting, simply friendship, or possible job opportunities. When volunteering at an organization, you are usually working closely with people and those friendships and networks can come from that.
Rober Putnam described in this article three different types of capital: physical, human and social. According to Putnam, social capital “refers to connections among individuals—social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them.” Social networking is, according to Putnam, more important to getting jobs and going places in community than human capital (or the properties and characteristics of an individual). It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. To me, this phrase describes social capital very precisely. Social networking and a social agenda is as important and even more so than what an individual knows or what he or she can bring to the table. I would like to hope that this isn’t true but I have seen a lot of evidence to suggest that it is. In my own life, I have seen this happen. When I applied for my first job I am pretty sure I got it because my mom was a very close friend of the manager. I had no prior experience, I received good grades in high school but besides that, I really had no better credentials than anyone else. Working for a Project Angel Heart through this class, it has been easy to become connected with the program, most likely because of Professor Bateman’s social capital. I have found it very hard however to become connected with other organizations to volunteer; it is hard to call/email and get a reply because everyone just seems so busy. Now that we have all volunteered for Project Angel Heart however, I can see that it will be easier to volunteer with them in the future because we have all formed some sort of connection with the program, even just knowing the names and email addresses of the volunteer coordinators. In Volunteering for Project Angel Heart, we have also increased their social capital. We have increased their web of volunteers by 15 and they can now call on us when they need help or extra volunteers. In this case it is very obvious that social capital is more important here than human capital; once a person has volunteered they are in the network but they also now know how to volunteer, how to deliver and work in the kitchen.
My understanding of social capital is that the connections that we make with people hold value and help make society more productive. It really helped me to think of capital like the examples that were given in the chapter, of physical capital (like a screwdriver) increasing production and human capital (like education) also increasing production. So, social capital increases the production of individuals as well as groups. It is also said in the article, that a poorly connected individual can still benefit from a well connected community. I think that Project Angel Heart is a good example of this concept. Most of the people that Project Angel Heart serves are probably not the best connected people. Of course I don’t know this for certain, but I would assume that more connected individuals would have family and friends to take care of them rather than an organization like Angel Heart. However, even though they may not be well connected they are part of a community (Project Angel Heart). This community is very well connected, adding to the social capital and this spills over and benefits even those individuals that are not well connected.
Although I cannot at the moment think of a specific example of when I benefitted from social capital, I am certain that I have. I guess just growing up in a small town, I benefitted from everyone being so tightly knit together. Whenever I needed something that I didn’t have, there was always someone who knew someone else that could get it for me. A good community fosters good social capital and I can say with confidence that I grew up in an awesome community of people. Everyone cared and looked out for everyone else. I never really “got” that serving could be good for everyone involved in more than just a good feeling kind of way, until now. When social capital is high, community is good, and life is (generally) good.
In his article, Robert Putnam claims, “Social capital refers to connections among individuals—social networks and the norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness that arise from them.” From this basic definition, I would claim that social capital is made up of the relationships we form with others and the significance that these hold in daily life.
I have richly benefited from the social capital in my own life, starting at home and reaching out toward my community throughout the years. Connections between people and the concept of trust are often difficult concepts to fully define or label. Instead, such values are engrained in the very core of a person. We all have some level of connection and some association with trust, whether this be positive or negative. Growing up in my family, my parents encouraged a “think the best of others” mentality from a very young age. In my own experiences, I have never had significant reason to doubt this. I question others and I question myself, yet I still seek to find the best in people and situations. I believe these relationships are necessary to my own growth and development as I come to understand my own role in a much larger society.
By learning these values early on in life, I have been encouraged me to continue to live in them. As a child, such values were rather subconscious. The world was black and white and there was no reason to think otherwise. As I grow, however, I find myself questioning my own beliefs a great deal. I still firmly believe in this idea of social capital, however. My own concept of social capital now reaches beyond my immediate family and friends to the world as a whole. I have greatly enjoyed seeing the idea of social capital manifest itself through my work with Project Angel Heart. The connections within such an organization are extremely complex, uniting individuals with their own intentions into a group serving a common purpose. Perhaps this is what social capital is actually all about. Individuals bringing their own unique ideas and perspectives together to create a masterpiece much greater than one would be capable of alone.
Social Capital is the connections one makes with themselves and another person or the community they work in. Most experience social capital through organization or service clubs. The article talks about Rotary and Lions, but any organization one works or volunteers with is considered ones Social Capital. People work through organizations to raise money for something, but at the same time they are making personal friendships and connections. A lot of the time it is a win-win situation. If you do something for someone, they expect that now or sometime down the road, their effort will pay off by someone else helping them. Social Capital doesn’t always end in something good. The article explains how the Oklahoma City bomber, McVeigh, used his connections with his friends, his social capital, to have the courage to destroy. He wouldn’t have been able to do this alone. Whenever I have thought of social capital, I have always thought of it in a positive way. One doesn’t think about the negative effects of social capital every day.
I personally have benefitted through social capital through my friends, sports, and work. These are all classified as win- win situations. With sports, my coaches help me and I perform well for them. Through work, I work hard for them and they pay me. Friendship is an easy social connection because we are there for each other. Working through organizations like Project Angel Heart creates strong social Capital. You create interactions with people and friendships that last a lifetime. These relationships are apparent in the volunteer-volunteer connection and the volunteer-client connection. For the latter, even though the client won’t be able to give back to you, someday down the road when you find yourself in hard times, it is ones hope that the younger generation will be there to look out for you.
Social capital is simply our connectedness with others. It can be our close relationships as with friends and family, the ones we see everyday, or the extended networks that we are a part of, those people that we may “catch up” with over a cup of coffee. Robert Putnam says that social capital also includes our trustworthiness and reciprocity for others.
This article really made me think about our individualistic society. especially when Putnam mentioned the nineteenth century literature that advocated independence. It is interesting to me because in our society, it is easy to get lost in our own affairs. We go to school/ work, and go home. Most of our interacting comes from employees (which can be minimal) and those with who we live.
Putnam says that we should “bond” as well as “bridge” which really makes me see that he has a point. What is even more fascinating is that he talks about social capital as if it is something we just have, just like the physical and human capitals. He talks about it as if there should be no choice involved. We imply should increase our social capital.
One thing I have taken from this reading is that everyone has social capital. No on lives entirely isolated from at least some type of community or connection. In my life, I have always tried to depend on my physical and human capital, but looking back, my social capital has played important roles. Such as learning about DU and knowing the professors in the music school before I applied.
Working with Project Angel Heart seems to be beneficial for bonding. We drive over together, getting to know our classmates in a different setting. After tonight’s meal shift i may find that bridging happens while talk to people in the kitchen. After reading Putnam, I have a different attitude towards the shift. I think I will be able to reciprocate social bridging. Though, I do have a question, what is the distinction between bridging and simply chatting with a stranger?
The definition of Social Capital is very complex. Social capital can be connections, reputations, the ability to influence, accessing resources through connections, and using your capital to attain further resources. In our society we are forced to network in order to leverage and continue to build Social Capital. For example while in college many students join fraternities and sororities, this can be seen as an easy way to build connections, reputation, influence, bridging capital, and accessing ideas. Robert Putnam discusses these social networks as reciprocal mainly because all individuals are benefited from participating in the group.
There is a symbiotic relationship between participating in social networks as well as Social Capital. Last year, I was appointed the first American Public Diplomacy Envoy by Secretary Rice. I have two objectives as an Envoy. First, it is to speak to students and young people in different countries. To share with them the things that I have learned through skating, things like working hard, dedication, never giving up, and believing in yourself. I hope that they can learn a few things from my experiences, and apply it to their own lives. Second, it is important that there is an open dialogue between me and the students and young people. I answer questions that they have about the United States. And I encourage them to get to know different cultures, people, beliefs, and customs. In addition, I get a chance to build more knowledge from the interaction with the students. In this way, I feel that both the students and I gain Social Capital because the dialogue can be viewed as bridging capital and ideas.
Social capital to me is the connections you make in your life that help you succeed and live a better, more fulfilling life. These connections are essentially the relationships we make with people and it is these relationships help us along in life and determine where we go in life. Some factors that result due to social capital are college, jobs, and friendships. By maintaining ones social capital and improving on it (expanding), one will have more positive opportunities in life.
So far in my life, I have really benefited from social capital and the connections it has made for me. The most blatant example of social capital in my life right now is the resent internship I was able to obtain with a media based company in New York City. I was able to get this job offer due to my dad’s close relationship to man named Tad Smith, who works for the company. Coming home one night from work, I was able to talk to Tad during a dinner party and was offered the internship. With out my dad’s connections, I would never have been able to find such an interesting internship.
Working with Project Angle Heart or volunteering with other organizations can also enrich your social capital on a personal level and for those working around you. In my life, working with organizations such as Project Angle Heart has given me insight to certain aspect of life. It’s a real eye opener and I have come to know how fortunate I’m. For my college essay, I wrote about my volunteer experience in Brazil. In this essay I wrote about how I got through language barriers and increase my intercultural knowledge. This experience, along with the strength of my essay, really helped me get into Denver University, an extremely important aspect of my social capital.
My own definition of social capital is the extent to which a person has formed connections wit members of their own and outside communities. The benefits of making social contacts positively correlate with the size of the network. I believe the theory of "generalized reciprocity" is true because in any relationship there's always a give and a take. People give of themselves-- quality time, services, and information--with the expectation that when they are in need of the same things they can ask and receive without hesitation. In my own life, I definitely think I've benefited from creating social contacts outside my normal sphere of friends with whom I share many characteristics. For example, when I worked at a cafe, every day was an opportunity to meet someone new and learn something from that person. What I gave them was nothing more than company, a brief moment for them to vent about their day or talk about their caffeine additions. And what they gave me in return was generally the same, but sometimes more. For example, I met a DU graduate student who told me about financial aid resources I could be available for based on what he learned about me through casual conversation.
As for Project Angel Heart, I think it does enrich the social capital of both the volunteers and the people they are serving. PAH is also willing to help its clients locate services they need in the city other than food, and volunteers form friendships amongst each other. For example, I heard of a volunteer getting a letter of recommendation for a job from PAH staff. Even with volunteering in general there is reciprocity at the basic level of a person offers a service in exchange for the satisfaction of providing it.
There is a decline in “social capital.” This erodes good neighborhoods and social trust. How likely are Americans to know their neighbors, to participate in community and civic events, and to belong to social clubs? Look at how increasingly individualized society is becoming. Examine the advent of Myspace and FaceBook. Do these Internet social networks have the same benefits of the once prominent bowling leagues? These trends signify a shift in social behavior and changes in the fabric of society.
Social capital is about social networking. It's about how people interact, find things they need in each other, foster relationships with varying levels of trust to form the social networks that our society runs upon. Commonly known as networking, the relationships and connections that you build throughout your life can help to ultimately get you where you need to be. "It's all about who you know", the adage says. It's not something we necessarily think about or acknowledge, it's something that people do naturally in their lives; it's instinctive.
As I continue in my life, I'm slowly realizing the importance that social capital holds in the business world today. I've benefited from social capital in many ways in my life through people I know or through friends of my parents. Two summers ago, my best friend's mother opened an upscale boutique in Inwood Village, a small shopping area catering to the neighboring Park Cities. Since she was my friend's mother, I was offered employment at the store before construction had even began. Many girls applied for the job, yet I didn't even have to fill out an application. This is a key example of social capital, without the connection to my friend's mother, I would have never obtained the job.
Volunteering at any organization enriches social capital because we are not only participating in activities that we would not normally be involved in, but we also are exposed to people from all different sorts of backgrounds. There is little to no ethnic, economic, or social diversity within the Park Cities, where I was raised. It was through mission trips through my church and volunteering for organizations such as Project Angel Heart that I was able to witness the different lifestyles of all types of people. Not only that, the people in the organization witness the opposite of the stereotypical ungrateful rich children that are sent to private colleges for a proper education. There are benefits on both sides in terms of social capital in volunteer situations.
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