About eHope | Who is my Neighbor?

In a world filled with complex, far-flung social networks, less emphasis is being placed upon the relationships with the people in close proximity to us - our neighbors.  It's not that we're unwilling to help the people next door, it's just that we're too busy to take the time to get to know them. 

SOCIAL CAPITAL

The need for caring community begins long before a health crisis surfaces in the life of a family member or a neighbor on your street.  It begins with social capital;  the equity that exists between neighbors - the unspoken reciprocal agreement which causes us to instinctively look out for and care for one another. At some  point in our lives we will all need the help of a neighbor or they will need us.

Social capital has been in a steady state of decline in America since the early 1960’s, contributing to a number of societal challenges including increased crime and isolation.  There is simply no program or institution that can effectively replace the social capital that neighbors provide.  Community in a nutshell, is us.  It's you, it's me and the the people in our respective neighborhoods.

Renowned Harvard social scientist Robert Putnam refers to  2 essential components of social capital in his book, Better Together - bonding and bridging capital. 

"Social Capital refers to social networks, norms of reciprocity, mutual assistance and trustworthiness.

Some networks link people who are similar in crucial respects and tend to be inward-looking - bonding social capital.  Others encompass different types of people and tend to be outward looking - bridging social capital.

Both bonding and bridging social networks have their uses .  Bonding social capital is a kind of sociological super glue, whereas bridging social capital provides a sociological WD 40. 

A society that has only bonding social capital looks like Belfast or Bosnia - segregated into mutually hostile camps.  So a pluralistic democracy requires lots of bridging social capital, not just the bonding variety.

The problem is that bridging social capital is harder to create than bonding social capital - after all, birds of a feather flock together.  So the kind of social capital that is most essential for healthy public life in an increasingly diverse society like  ours is precisely the kind that is the hardest to build."

As our society becomes increasingly mobile, our tendency is to travel further to connect with our affinity group(s) - peeps that look, think, believe and spend like us (bonding capital). During the past 3 decades, our neighborhoods have become perhaps the most neglected affinity group in our society. 

Repeatedly, the single least-tapped resource in eHope caring communities are neighbors - peeps who are closest in proximity, and arguably in the best position to offer spontaneous non-medical physical, social or emotional care in a time of medical crisis.

The highest functioning eHope caring communities are comprised of multiple affinity groups, each willing to work collaboratively with one another, relying on bridging capital to guide the process.  In short, caring community involves family, neighbors, employers, churches and community service organizations, all working together to provide care, thereby increasing the level of social capital for everyone involved.

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