Section 4: Chapter 17, Eduction and Children's Welfare Summary and Analysis

Social capital is a strong factor in child development. Networks, trust, and reciprocity all affect a child's development and opportunities. Putnam finds that in states with a high social capital rank, children are better off. Things such as teenage pregnancy, school dropouts, violent crime, and premature death all happen less frequently in these states. This doesn't mean that social capital causes good outcomes, but it does seem to be associated with them.

Children in high-risk areas are more vulnerable to social capital deficits. Yet, Putnam argues that social capital may be most important for such children and families. Inner city kids with higher levels of social capital were less depressed than those in less tightly-knit areas. School performance is also linked to social capital. The level of informal social capital appears...