A fascinating post on the Social Capital Blog details two recent studies in the US which show correlations between civic engagement and levels of unemployment. At one end of the scale Nevada, where less than 5% percent worked with neighbours, has unemployment of 10% - 12%... while at the top end is Alaska, where 15% worked with neighbours, has unemployment of 0% - 2%.
While they are quick to point out that the study does not prove causation. However Bob Graham thinks that taken together with other studies that these finding will be proven real:
"Assuming this finding turns out to be real, one might wonder about the mechanisms. My hunch of the most likely culprit is that in higher social capital places, firms are more likely to share the pain through across-the-board cutback in hours rather than concentrate the pain through layoffs and firings. Levine and Dietz posit other explanatory factors:
- stronger social networks make it easier for people to get re-employed;
- civic engagement helps generate skills and confidence that translate into employability;
- civic engagement helps spread information that make it easier for individuals to learn about job openings or training programs;
- civic engagement produces higher trust and higher trust leads to better economic performance (although social trust wasn’t directly measured in the CPS survey);
- governments are more responsible and responsive in high civic engagement states; or
- people in more engaged communities may feel greater community attachment which leads them to invest more locally."
This study supports the idea that community and connection can have a real impact on difficult problems - working very much in the area of 'effects'. In April I wrote about protective factors for young people in particular and the idea that a connected community would have the 'secondary effect' of helping support young people better than some of the more direct interventions.
Comments