TY - JOUR
T1 - Place-specific constructs of social capital and their possible associations to health
T2 - A Japanese case study
AU - Hanibuchi, Tomoya
AU - Murata, Yohei
AU - Ichida, Yukinobu
AU - Hirai, Hiroshi
AU - Kawachi, Ichiro
AU - Kondo, Katsunori
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows [ 216500 ]. This study used data from the Aichi Gerontological Evaluation Study (AGES). This survey was conducted by the Nihon Fukushi University Center for Well-being and Society as one of their research projects, and supported by a grant of Strategic Research Foundation Grant-aided Project for Private Universities from Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport, Science, and Technology, Japan (MEXT), 2009–2013.
PY - 2012/7
Y1 - 2012/7
N2 - The story of Roseto, Pennsylvania, USA, is one of the most widely cited studies of the putative influence of community social cohesion on population health. However, few contemporary studies of community-based " social capital" on health have addressed " communities" as unique . places with unique histories outside of a Western context. In the present study, we focus on a specific region of Japan (which we call the M-region to preserve anonymity). Using survey data and qualitative interviews, we discuss the historical and contextual origins of the high social capital in the M-region that could account for its relatively good health profile. The analysis of survey data suggested that the residents of M-region have higher norms of reciprocity and participate more in horizontal organizations (including volunteer group, citizen or consumer group, sports group or club, and hobby group), and it also indicated better health status and behaviors in some outcomes among the residents of M-region. Based on qualitative interviews, the origins of social capital in the M-region appeared to be rooted in the strong sense of solidarity fostered by the fact that many of the residents were recruited into the region by the same local employer (a steel manufacturing company). Our study points to the need to ground studies of community-based " social capital" and health on detailed knowledge of the historical context of specific places.
AB - The story of Roseto, Pennsylvania, USA, is one of the most widely cited studies of the putative influence of community social cohesion on population health. However, few contemporary studies of community-based " social capital" on health have addressed " communities" as unique . places with unique histories outside of a Western context. In the present study, we focus on a specific region of Japan (which we call the M-region to preserve anonymity). Using survey data and qualitative interviews, we discuss the historical and contextual origins of the high social capital in the M-region that could account for its relatively good health profile. The analysis of survey data suggested that the residents of M-region have higher norms of reciprocity and participate more in horizontal organizations (including volunteer group, citizen or consumer group, sports group or club, and hobby group), and it also indicated better health status and behaviors in some outcomes among the residents of M-region. Based on qualitative interviews, the origins of social capital in the M-region appeared to be rooted in the strong sense of solidarity fostered by the fact that many of the residents were recruited into the region by the same local employer (a steel manufacturing company). Our study points to the need to ground studies of community-based " social capital" and health on detailed knowledge of the historical context of specific places.
KW - Community
KW - Japan
KW - Place
KW - Social capital
KW - Social cohesion
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84860700835&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84860700835&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.03.017
DO - 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.03.017
M3 - Article
C2 - 22513245
AN - SCOPUS:84860700835
VL - 75
SP - 225
EP - 232
JO - Ethics in Science and Medicine
JF - Ethics in Science and Medicine
SN - 0277-9536
IS - 1
ER -