另一个视角下的信任

本文试图从社会资本的角度来探讨我国日益严重的信任问题。指出信任作为一种社会资本，对社会的发展起着极其重要的作用，从风险社会和社会转型当前两大时代背景来重新审视当前中国的信任问题。以“杀熟”、“三鹿事件”等事件为例，分析当前中国信任何以遭受破坏，并针对社会资本的建设，思考当前我国社会信任的重建。     

Social Networks Among Incarcerated Juvenile Offenders*

This study examines the social networks and deviant behavior of 92 male and female adolescent offenders in a secure training school. Semi-structured interviews were conducted individually with the youth and repeated following a four-week interval. Record data were reviewed to assess behavioral adjustment. The Social Cognitive Map analytic technique was utilized to identify social clusters. Findings indicate that these extremely delinquent youth formed reasonably stable social networks within the institution. Social clusters were distinguished most strongly on the basis of gender, race and proximity. Individuals within clusters had similar levels of behavioral adjustment and perceptions of intimacy with peers. The processes of peer group formation are similar to those found among public school counterparts. Treatment implications are discussed.     

Residential Mobility and Children's Social Capital: Evidence from an Experiment*

Objective. This article examines the effects of residential mobility on social connections that are likely to affect children's well‐being. Methods. We use data from a survey of participants in a housing experiment in Los Angeles, California to examine whether families that moved from public housing projects to other neighborhoods suffered short‐term losses of social capital. Results. Results indicate that residential mobility is associated with a reduced likelihood of parents talking with the parents of their children's friends. However, the effects of residential mobility on social capital are sensitive to adjustments for poverty levels in destination neighborhoods and factors that influence the probability of moving. Conclusions. Our results suggest that at least some of the negative effects of moving shown in previous studies may be due to negative selection. That is, families that move may be less successful at developing social ties than families that do not move. This finding suggests that future research on residential mobility needs to pay closer attention to factors that influence why and where families move.     

Acculturation Effects on Trust in National and Local Government Among Mexican Americans*

Objectives. The objectives of this article are to examine the impact of acculturation on the levels of trust in both the national and local governments in a long‐term minority‐majority community and to consider the effect on Mexican Americans' level of trust of long‐term co‐ethnic control of local government. Methods. Ordered probit is applied to measures of local and national political trust derived from the National Election Studies. Data were drawn from a sample of Latino respondents residing in the predominantly Mexican‐American region of south Texas. Independent variables include a language‐based measure of acculturation, a measure of interethnic social interaction, and items dealing with respondents' evaluations of the honesty, efficiency, and beneficiaries of governmental policies. Clarify is then used to estimate the real‐world impacts of these variables. Results. Acculturation has a significant and negative impact on trust in the national government. This effect vanishes, however, at the local level. Moreover, co‐ethnic control of government appears not to be related to trust. Conclusions. Trust in the national government is significantly reduced by acculturation, while trust in local government is unaffected. Moreover, trust in government is not enhanced by co‐ethnic control of the levers of political power.     

Social Capital and Economic Performance in the American States*

Objective. This study tests the claim that areas with higher levels of social capital have superior economic performance. Method. The 14‐measure index of social capital created by Robert Putnam is reconstructed for an extended time period and integrated into cross‐sectional regression models including physical capital, human capital, and other factors relevant to state economic performance. Results. The analysis shows that social capital has no discernable influence on aggregate measures of output and employment. However, it does have a positive and significant impact on measures of economic equality and employment stability. Conclusions. This study does not support the claim that social capital is a general prerequisite for prosperity, but it does suggest that it may serve to reinforce a particular mode of communitarian economic development.     

Social Capital and the Growth of the Nonprofit Sector*

Objectives. This article examines the extent to which nonprofit organizational foundings are determined by various forms of social capital. Our hypothesis is that, controlling for other relevant social, political, and economic factors, communities with higher levels of social capital should experience more extensive growth in their nonprofit sectors. Methods. Using data derived from the Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey and the IRS “charitable organization” Business Master Files, we test our hypothesis using a negative binomial event count regression on nonprofit organization foundings in 284 U.S. counties in the year 2001. Results. We find that two core dimensions of social capital—political engagement and “bridging” social ties—have a significant impact on county‐level nonprofit foundings. Surprisingly, a key element of social capital in the literature, the level of interpersonal trust, does not lead to an increase in foundings of new not‐for‐profit organizations. Conclusions. This study provides further evidence of the strength of political engagement and bridging ties for the vitality of the community. It also shows that the different dimensions of social capital do not manifest a uniform effect on nonprofit sector growth. These results further demonstrate that the growth of a community's not‐for‐profit sector is dependent on a mix of ecological and environmental factors, especially preexisting organizational density, median household income, unemployment, and levels of governmental spending. Overall, social capital can usefully be seen as another key “environmental” factor in explanations of organizational foundings.     

Emotional and Social Isolation Among Older French Canadian Seasonal Residents in Florida

This study focuses on: (1) an examination of the relationship between the emotional and social isolation experienced by older French Canadian seasonal residents of Florida; and (2) a comparison of the emotional and social isolation of the French Canadian sample with their English Canadian counterparts (Mullins, Woodland & Putnam, 1989). Among these French Canadians, emotional isolation was related to living alone, but only among those under 70 years of age, males and those in poor health, and among those who were under 70 years of age who had fewer children. A comparison of the relationship between social and emotional isolation between the French and English Canadians shows the results to be more different than similar. The conclusions drawn from these findings point to the importance of considering living arrangements, ethno-cultural background, and age, gender and health to understanding and coping with emotional isolation.     

Church Attendance,Social Capital,and Black Voting Participation*

Objectives. We test the traditional studies of political participation that suggest enhanced education and income will help reduce the racial gap in voting. Methods. We adopt a Bayesian model to test the impact of education and income on both black and white racial groups. We also link the explanation of black voting participation to social capital. Results. We find that bonding and bridging social capital as well as human capital are all important in explaining white voting participation, but only bonding social capital, measured by church attendance, explained African‐American voting participation. Conclusions. We conclude that the utility of social capital theory and continuing significance of human capital theory must be considered in a racial context. In addition, our findings offer important implications about the continuing role of black churches for increasing social capital and political participation.     

农民工市民化的社会资本分析

农民工市民化是实现科学发展、构建和谐社会和推进城市化进程的重要途径。从社会资本的角度看,实现农民工市民化,应增强政府社会资本,发挥人力资本与社会资本的相互作用以不断提升农民工经济地位,引导农民工进入中小城市、融入社区和加入群众组织,扩大农民工的有序政治参与。     

Social Capital and Fire Service Performance: Evidence from the U.S. States*

Objective. The present study evaluates whether areas with high levels of social capital are likely to have better fire service performance. Method. Utilizing Robert Putnam's 14‐measure index of social capital, OLS regression techniques are applied to objective data on the rate of unintentional fire deaths in the U.S. states between 1980 and 2003. Results. The findings show that social capital is associated with a low unintentional fire death rate, even when controlling for a range of important environmental constraints. However, the effects of social capital vary by its conceptual components. Conclusions. The study supports the argument that social capital is likely to be an important determinant of fire service outcomes, and suggests that the political engagement and social trust components may be the most important focus for public policies seeking to build social capital in order to reduce fire fatalities.     

饮食社交对政治信任的侵蚀及差异分析：关系资本的“副作用”

本文使用2009年中国八城市“社会网络与职业经历”(JSNET)问卷调查数据,探讨饮食社交对政治信任的影响。实证分析结果表明,城镇居民的社交聚餐频率对政治信任各维度均有负向效应,且这种侵蚀效应在不同体制、不同性别、不同学历和不同地区的人群间具有显著差别。本文的研究结果表明,以“饭局”为途径来积累、维系和动员关系资本的过程,在特定的情境下往往伴随社会层面的消极影响,对政治信任带来“副作用”。     

Institutional Incentives and Trust: Marginalized Groups and the Creation of Trust in Local Government*

Objectives. There is an important theoretical debate concerning whether institutional trust can be created. Since very few governments actually try to promote trust directly, it has been difficult to test this debate empirically. To investigate this debate, we examine an innovative new program in Japan that is specifically designed to promote trust in institutions—community currencies. Methods. We use propensity score matching to determine if community currency program participation in Japan increases institutional trust. Results. We find that participation increases institutional trust. Additionally, we find that supporters of political parties with little political power receive a greater impact from program participation. Conclusions. These results show that institutional trust can be increased by participation in incentive programs of cooperation, and suggest that members of marginalized groups will benefit more from program participation.