Social Capital in American Life

Embarking from a model of social capital hinging upon four social structureswork, family, social networks, and voluntary associationsBrian Jones empirically examines the widespread claims that American society is becoming less sociable, trusting, and cooperative. Breaking down datasets drawn from the General Social Survey (conducted 27 times from 1972 to 2008), Social Capital in American Life depicts the social values drawn from the four established social structures, as well as their interrelationships, their determinants, and ultimately their social capital, through a series of statistical and econometric methods. This rigorous, empirically driven analysis reveals how American society both confirms and repudiates fears about decreased cooperation given different cases and parameters.

Provides a series of tables, graphs, and charts depicting Americans' social behavior and opinions Examines the social values provided by the four primary social structures in American society Emphasizes the importance of empirical research in social theory as it brings theoretical stances to bear on specific datasets

Autorentext

Brian J. Jones is Professor of Sociology at Villanova University, USA. He is the author of Social Capital in America (2011) and co-author of Sociology: Micro, Macro, and Mega Structures (1995) and Social Problems: Issues, Opinions, and Solutions (1988).

Klappentext

Is American society falling apart?

Put this provocative question to people you know and you will encounter a disturbing number of affirmative answers. But beyond such emotional foreboding, how would one factually answer the question?

In this book, Brian J. Jones poses the issue by first building a theoretically-based model of the guts of any living societyfamily, work, voluntary association and social networks. This model of social capital is then tested using some four decades of real-world data from the General Social Survey, the gold standard for modern survey research.

This process here yields real answers about life in America. People are reallocating their commitments to family and work, to friends and neighbors. These changes are tied to Americans' deepest motivations such as trust and happiness. Also unearthed are deep signs of societal divisions along the fault lines of education, marriage and race.

Social Capital in American Life is a serious answer to a provocativeand very realquestion.

Inhalt

1. What Are They Thinking?.- 2. The Model of Social Capital.-3. Work and Job Satisfaction.- 4. Family and Family Satisfaction.- 5. Voluntary Association and Trust.- 6. Social Networks and Happiness.- 7. Social Capital and Social Inequality.- 8. Media Matters.- 9. E Pluribus Duo.- 10. Social Capital in American Life.