Adolescent Social Capital – An Intergenerational Resource?

Abstract

<p>Introduction: Social capital is a valuable asset that spawns multiple benefits, but little<br>is known about its origins. This study narrows the gap by exploring the extent to which<br>adolescents’ social capital is shaped by their parents’ social capital, the socioeconomic<br>status (SES) of their families, or that of their neighbourhood. The study also explores<br>which dimensions of adolescent social capital are most sensitive to intergenerational or<br>socioeconomic influence.<br>Methods: The study uses cross-sectional survey data gathered from adolescents aged<br>12–13 years and their parents (n = 167) in Southwest Finland. For the analysis,<br>adolescents’ social capital was disaggregated into four dimensions: social networks,<br>social trust, tendency to receive help, and tendency to provide help. For each dimension,<br>the associations with the hypothesised predictors were analysed separately using<br>structural equation modelling.<br>Results: The results suggest that parents’ social capital is the most influential predictor<br>to each dimension of adolescents’ social capital establishing stronger associations as<br>compared to the other two predictors. However, it is not the parents’ actual social<br>capital as they report themselves, but their offspring’s perception of their social<br>behaviour. Family’s SES relates to young people’s reciprocal tendency and level of trust<br>but only indirectly through parents’ social capital. Conversely, a disadvantaged<br>socioeconomic neighbourhood is directly negatively associated with adolescents’ level<br>of trust and frequency of receiving help.<br>Conclusions: This study suggests that social capital is distinctly, although not<br>exclusively, an intergenerational resource. Parents are critical role models for adolescent<br>children</p>