Social Capital among those experiencing housing hardship
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Date
2018-05
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Publisher
The Ohio State University
Abstract
Housing hardship is a common trend experienced by many individuals across the United States. Housing hardship could include struggling to pay rent or mortgage bills due to rising housing costs, moving in with family and friends, living in a car, or living with government support through subsidized housing or vouchers (Desmond & Kimbro, 2015). The instability that comes with housing hardships can be greatly impacted- both positively and negatively by social capital. Social capital refers to the resources that are available through social networks and relationships based on trust, shared norms, and reciprocity" (Curley, 2010). In this study, I explored differences in social capital for individuals who are experiencing housing hardships compared to those who are not. I also examined correlates of social capital for aiming to see what predicts higher social capital for those with housing hardships. I used the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a longitudinal birth cohort study of approximately 5,000 families, I conducted a series of linear regressions to analyze these relationships. I analyzed specific sets of data from the study and compare the outcomes of those with housing hardship and those without to be able to analyze different levels of social capital between the groups. Among the individuals who participated in the study, 14.4% receive subsidized housing from the government but many more participants have other housing hardships. There is a shortage of information regarding social capital and how it can be utilized by individuals to better their current situations. This study will continue to push for more research in social capital, how it can come about, and the benefits or disadvantages it can have on some of the nations most vulnerable individuals.
Description
Denman Undergraduate Research Forum Second Place Award: Promoting Wellness and Social Justice within Communities
Keywords
social capital, housing hardship, hardship, mother hardship, mothers