Social Capital And Social Class Essay

Social capital plays a key role in nearly every modern American family no matter your nationality, race, or social status. Every person has likely called upon another family member, group, or club to help out in times of need. But how does social capital play a relevant role in the lives of individuals and families? Also, how does being in a lower social class affect someone’s social capital and mobility? To understand the relevance of social capital amongst different classes, we must first discuss what social capital is and then some ways it is pertinent for families and individuals. Cohen (2018) states, “belonging to a group, such as a family or an exclusive club, makes it possible for people to draw from the resources held by all of its members”. This is the overall idea of social capital. Although social capital is a highly sought after idea, it is not automatically given to every individual. Cohen (2018) also states that, “naturally, the resources of the group are not automatically shared …show more content…
“When there is too much social capital invested in integrated communities, which limits linkages outside the community, this may produce the equivalent of "amoral familism" (Smart 2008). What Alan Smart is trying to convey is that when families use their social capital for the wrong reasons, it will limit how many people get integrated into a particular network, which in turn will leave no room for lower class individuals and families to move up in the rankings. Using social capital as a tactic to increase your social status is common, but when higher class families or individuals use this tactic negatively to keep others from “linking” into their groups or their monetary gains, it can cause issues for the lower