The Decline of Social Capital in the United States and its Effect on Homelessness
Author, Lei Nguyen | 12/27/2021
It seems almost intuitive that the United States is growing progressively less social. In 1995, Harvard Professor Robert D. Putman began thorough research of this topic, and eventually wrote an article in The Journal of Democracy titled "Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community.” In it, Putman suggests closer study of the ways in which various aspects of technology, changes in social equality, and public policy affect social capital, and how to best generate it. Furthermore, Putman’s research revealed that the number of Americans willing to vote, joining churches, and participating in parent-teacher associations have dropped significantly. Alarmed, Mr. Putman concluded that social capital in America is falling.
As Dr. Putman’s work circulated among social science researchers, an important question was raised: Is social capital in the US really declining?
What Is Social Capital And Why Is It Declining?
A society that wants to progress needs physical and human capital, that's something everyone already knows. But, no less necessary, social capital is immaterial and non-individualistic. Rather, it involves cooperative relationships between people, often culminating in groups or communities.
Social capital can be defined as production and investment in social relationships for both individual and mutual benefit. It takes three forms:
Bonding - close ties with family, friends, and neighbors.
Bridging - more distant ties between similar people, such as acquaintances or work colleagues.
Linking - relationships between diverse individuals and groups that cross boundaries, such as age, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background.
Putman attributes the decline in social capital to changes in modern society. For example, in the 90s, women often participated in churches, charities, and neighborhood activities; in the present, after liberation and introduction into the workforce, many women don’t have the time. Additionally, the familial source of social capital declines as Americans marry less and have fewer children. Furthermore, Americans are less inclined to "root" themselves in the same place for the rest of their lives as before. People watch TV shows or social media content on their own, lessening the need to gather with their neighbors. Conclusively, modern American society is reducing social capital and paving the way for increasing individualism.
Why Is Social Capital Important?
According to Putnam, “Social capital is the connections between individuals, the social networks and the rules of reciprocity that form trust.” Putman shares several reasons why social capital is important, including:
Working together allows citizens to solve collective and individual problems more easily
General trustworthiness facilitates business and professional relationships
Relations with others allows individuals to check the accuracy of their personal views
For organizations or businesses, social capital also brings a number of benefits such as:
Improved knowledge sharing thanks to trusting relationships, common frames of reference, and common goals among individuals
Higher trust levels reduce transaction costs
Low employee turnover rate, reducing recruitment and training costs.
On an individual level, social capital can simply be the relationships he or she has that are durable, communicative, and built on trust. Regular interaction indicates greater social capital. Such relationships are incredibly important to help individuals be happier and more successful.
However, as the United States becomes increasingly less social, millions are left to fend for themselves.
Homelessness: The Reality For Millions Of Americans
Homlessness is more rampant than ever. The US Government's measures to support renters during the COVID-19 epidemic period has officially expired on August 1, threatening to push millions of people into homelessness. According to the US Census Bureau, as of July 5th 2021, about 3.6 million people in the US said they would most likely face house eviction over the next two months.
Homelessness, often a result of low social capital, only further severs individuals from social relationships. For example, it excludes unhoused individuals from the labor market, further preventing the development of social relationships outside of their families, which can also lead to mental health issues such as low self-esteem. Studies have suggested that engagement in an activity such as employment could override or suppress the negative thinking that unhoused individuals might suffer from, but most unhoused individuals report difficulty finding jobs and making extra-familial social relationships.
Social Capital And Creating Acceptable Communities For Young Homeless Individuals
Employing unhoused individuals could reduce crime, raise self-esteem, improve confidence and social participation in the community, and help to redefine identity through the reconstruction of social status. In other words, employment can replenish social capital and assist in the creation of community.
To increase opportunities for employment, unhoused individuals might change their networks from those in similar situations to themselves to those who can widen their horizons with new information and references. In order to facilitate this process and help enjoin unhoused individuals with the community, a community should be ready to:
Give unhoused individuals the opportunity to freely express their views
Engage unhoused individuals in local activities and initiatives.
Unhoused individuals should work to trust those with the genuine intention to help them. Unhoused individuals take a risk in working with new people, and it takes faith to trust that promises will be carried out. To achieve social and economic well-being, unhoused individuals may have to step outside of their comfort zone, but it is a risk that will hopefully pay off ten-fold.
Putting away the past may help unhoused individuals to trust others. But the community must also work to earn that trust by showing unhoused individuals that they are valued. Engaging unhoused individuals in community dialogue can provide a much-needed opportunity to work in the community, a sense of belonging, and a clarity of mind in regards to priorities.
Our Solution
Founded in 2016 in San Francisco, California, and now an award-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit that fights social poverty, Miracle Messages offer a humane way to help end homelessness: reunite families, strengthen local social supports, shatter stigmas, and empower people everywhere through human connection, a major factor in increasing social capital.
To date, Miracle Messages has:
reunited 500+ families (average length of time separated: 15 years!).
connected 150+ unhoused individuals with volunteer friends for weekly calls and texts.
distributed $50K+ to 14 individuals over six months through a “Universal Basic Income for the homeless” pilot.
Been featured widely (NY Times, Washington Post, SF Chronicle, TED talk, Fast Company)
Social capital thrives on shared values and allows individuals to effectively collaborate towards a common goal. Here at Miracle Messages, we are committed to growing social capital by implementing strong communal values into our reunion services and buddy system.
Through our reunion services, we help grow social capital by helping an unhoused person reconnect with their loved ones. We give them the opportunity to record a message to a loved one (or vice versa). Then, our network of volunteer "digital detectives" attempt to locate the loved one and deliver the message. To date, we've reunited 400+ families (average time separated: 15 years), with 15% of reunions resulting in stable housing and a larger 80% in an overall positive outcome.
Miracle Friends, our phone buddy system, has helped rebuild social capital by matching 130+ unhoused neighbors with trained volunteers for weekly phone calls and texts. Volunteers are assigned a new, secure, virtual phone number to make calls and text with their unhoused friends. Volunteers commit 2-3 hours a week to supporting their unhoused friend and track their experience through call-logs, weekly group check-ins, and ongoing training. Our buddy system is currently active at numerous hotel sites, along with an affordable housing site for senior citizens in San Francisco, and sites in San Mateo County, Santa Cruz County, Sonoma County, and others.
Read more about our Miracle Friends program pilot here.
Everyone is someone's somebody. Help us rebuild social capital. Join us, learn more, or donate today.