Having access to transportation, public parks, and community-based organizations makes it easier to connect with others.
Public transportation infrastructure is one of the most crucial things to both community access and the health of our world. The fossil fuel and motor vehicle industries need to be phased out in favor of more eco friendly and useful mass transit options
Supports overall community well-being, health, safety, and resilience.
Less people in poverty means less desperate people means less crime overall.
Social connection not only has a positive effect on individual health and well-being, but it can lead to many positive outcomes at the community level.
What would a community look like if more people had access to opportunities to connect with others. Would stronger social connections help reduce isolation, create safer neighborhoods, or encourage people to support one another? Could free and low-cost community programs help build trust and make people feel more included?
Approaches that include work to change policies, systems, and environments can help to address and promote social connections.
Communities can make changes to their policies, systems, and environments to create more opportunities for people to connect. I think this is important because people experiencing financial hardship may face barriers that make participating in community activities difficult.
We find that safety nets in the form of bank accounts, credit cards, and ability to borrow money increase both participation in organizations and friendships,
Makes sense, it costs money to do things and go places. Financial flexibility enables a higher level of ability to participate. People want to do things and have community.
although it has strong and negative independent associations with having close friends.
This is so interesting to me and reflects my own experience. Every time I've been in a tight spot financially it seems like my friendships are incredibly strained as a result. Some of it comes from just not being able to afford to go out, but there almost seems to be more to it than just that.
material hardships decrease friendships but increase participation in organizations.
Why is this? Is it out of necessity? Do people's time with their friends wane because of embarrassment for not being able to afford to participate? Do people stop participating in the community organizations when their financial position improves again?
We use data on women participating in a longitudinal study in the U.S. to investigate the effects of financial insecurity measured along two dimensions (safety nets and hardships) on two types of social interactions (participating in community organizations and having close friends).
I wonder why women were used, are men less likely to participate in safety net organizations?
Little is known about the effects of financial insecurity on social interactions despite consistently observed income effects on social capital
Given the cost of living crisis it's scary that this hasn't been studied more. Tons of people fall into poverty daily, the potential effects of this on our society is alarming.