Does social capital enhance health and well-being? Evidence from rural China

Institutional Origins of Subjective Well-Being: Estimating the Effects of Economic Freedom on National Happiness

“…A growing strand of literature has emphasized the fundamental importance of social capital for subjective well-being (Putnam 2000;Isham et al 2002;Helliwell 2006;Yip et al 2007). Putnam et al (1993) conducted a natural experiment by studying the institutional performance of Italian regions from 1970s onwards when Italian government established regional governments and showed that differences in contemporary institutional efficacy between the North and South (Mezzogiorno) can be traced back to the differences in various components of social capital such as trust in others, association and civic traditions that extend back to the Middle Ages.…”

“…A large strand of literature suggests that various dimension of subjective well-being are affected by the social capital (Helliwell and Putnam 2004;Kingdon and Knight 2007;Yip et al 2007;Winkelmann 2009;Sarracino 2010;Hooghe and Vanhoutte 2011). In a study of structural effects of social capital, Putnam constructed a composite measure of social capital across the United States and showed that states with high social capital index tend to experience better educational outcomes, higher child welfare, less TV watching, lower murder rates, better health, lower tax evasion, greater tolerance for gender, racial equality and civil liberties, lower economic inequality, greater civic equality and are less pugnacious.…”

Social Trust and Social Network in Iran

“…Individual-level regressions all tend to support the existence of strong links between trust and measures of subjective wellbeing. Chang [34] shows that the level of social trust is positively associated with happiness using data from a survey in Taiwan. Yip et al [35] also find evidence of strong linkages between trust and life satisfaction using data collected in rural China.Adler and Kwon [36] identified that the goodwill that others have toward us is a valuable resource.…”

“ Who'll do all these if I'm not around?” : Bonding social capital and health and well-being of inpatients

“…Social capital is a key determinant of health and health-related behaviour and choices in many contexts and among different population groups (Kawachi, Subramanian, & Kim, 2008; Yip et al, 2007). It refers to the actual and potential resources embedded in different forms of social relationships (Bourdieu, 1986).…”

“…The resources embedded in social relationships are often in the form of information, instrumental help (e.g., money and running errands) and emotional support (Harpham, 2008; Harpham, Grant, & Thomas, 2002). The reliance on social connections for health-related assistance is said to be more pronounced among relatively vulnerable persons (Amoah & Jørgensen, 2014; Avogo, 2013; Narayan, 1999; Yip et al, 2007). In Ghana and many other developing countries, not only have fewer studies been carried out about social capital (Amoah, 2017; Story, 2013), but also minimal attention has been paid to the role of the phenomenon in actual healthcare delivery.…”