Social capital and health in the Swedish welfare state
Social capital and health in the Swedish welfare state
This chapter deals with the mysterious and obscure concept of ‘social capital’. It discusses how this popular, but somewhat mysterious concept has been understood in the research literature. It demonstrates how the distribution of the preconditions for social capital, such as informal and formal social contacts, differ between various groups in Sweden and how this, in turn, influences health. It notes that welfare state institutions have been seen as important for the emergence of social capital and for the development of trust and solidarity in society. It also discusses the role of the welfare state in maintaining, creating, or perhaps even destroying the preconditions for social capital in a society.
Keywords: social capital, social contacts, Sweden, health, welfare state, society
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