Source: Ravenera, Z. (2007). Informal networks social capital of fathers: What does the Social Engagement Survey tell us?Social Indicators Research, 83(2).
Introduction
A common explanation for the greater likelihood of poorer outcomes among children from non-intact families is lower parental investments for children not only in financial capital and human capital such as education and training, but also in social capital.
Social capital refers to the connections within social networks, including relations with family, friends, and neighbours; participation and volunteering in formal institutions; and trust and norms of reciprocity, that is, the level of trust in informal contacts and the ability to rely on these networks for mutual help.
A wide body of research shows that social capital enhances the health, well-being and productivity of individuals in society, and hence is often looked upon as an asset or protective factor for child development. Limited research, however, examines how fathers in different situations build social capital for their family and children.
Methodology
A recent study seeks to address this gap. Using data from the Canadian General Social Survey on Social Engagement, it throws the focus on how men’s social capital varies depending on their fatherhood status and family structure, specifically: (1) men with no children, and (2) men living with children in (a) intact, (b) step, and (c) lone parent families.
Social capital in this study was measured by men’s informal relationships alone: 1) the size of their informal networks with friends, relatives and neighbours; 2) how much they trust various people in their lives; and 3) the diversity of their networks in terms of variables such as age, income, education, and ethnicity.
Key Findings
The results show that having children as well as being married appear to increase the size of and trust embedded in men’s social networks, but to reduce the diversity of their networks.
- Married men with children have the highest social capital of all groups of men, as indicated by the number of friends, relatives, and neighbours known, as well as the levels of trust in their own family and neighbours.
- However, married men with children are also the most likely to have friends who are similar to them in education, income, or age.
- Married men living with step-children do not differ much from married men in intact families, with one exception – the former have friends who are more diverse in education, income, and age.
- Men cohabiting with their partners and living with their children are less likely than their married peers to have neighbours whom they know, but again, their friends are somewhat more diverse than their married peers. Nonetheless, on the whole, the overall social capital of cohabiting men with children is not significantly different from the married men with children.
- In general, cohabiting, divorced or separated, and never married men – all not living with children – have smaller social capital than married men living with children. Their number of friends and relatives do not differ very much, but the number of neighbours known, and their levels of trust in family and in neighbours are significantly lower than those of married men. Furthermore, their friends are more diverse. This is particularly true for never-married men whose friends are diverse, not only in terms of income, education, and age but also in ethnicity.
- Finally, lone / single fathers living with their children significantly differ from the other men living with children – they know fewer neighbours, and have lower level of trust in them. However, compared to married fathers, lone fathers are likely to have friends more diverse in education, income, or age.
Implications
The results corroborate with previous research showing that children tend to facilitate knowing and trusting one’s neighbours – they provide a reason for parents to reach out to the larger kinship system and the neighbourhood. At the same time, this finding could point to a hidden benefit of greater father involvement in childcare; in being more involved with their children, fathers may reinforce or plug deeper into their informal networks, and multiply the benefits of increased social capital for their children too.
The type of relationship that men have with their partner seems to matter as well. Marriage may be conducive for men’s social capital because of the stability or “settling down” it implies. However, “settling down” could be associated with more homogeneous networks. Those without children (and with weaker informal networks) are more likely to have friends that differ in education, age, income, or in the case of never-married men, ethnic groups.
Finally, the weaker informal networks of lone fathers who live with children may be an area for greater attention, to understand whether and how this affects the wellbeing of the fathers and their children.
About the Author: The Dads for Life Resource Team comprises local content writers and experts, including psychologists,counsellors, educators and social service professionals, dedicated to developing useful resources for dads.
First published on 27-12-2012.