NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGEING Toronto Social Capital Study FEBRUARY - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGEING Toronto Social Capital Study FEBRUARY 2019 Michael Nicin, MA, MPP Executive Director National Institute on Ageing

BEFORE WE GET STARTED…POLL QUESTION 1. How fami mili liar ar are you with ith the concep ept of soci cial al capital al? Very y Somewhat mewhat Not at all 1

BEFORE WE GET STARTED…POLL QUESTION 2. Whic ich h age e group oup would uld you gues uess s has s the highest ighest soci cial al capital al in Toron onto? to? 18 18-24 24 25 25-29 29 30 30-39 39 40 40-54 54 55 55-64 64 65+ 65+ 2

WHA HAT T IS S SO SOCI CIAL AL CA CAPITAL? ITAL? The e repo port, rt, commi ommiss ssio ioned ned by the Toro ronto to Found undatio ation, n, and d cond nducted ucted by • the Enviro ironi nics cs Institute, stitute, pres esents ents the e resul sults ts of a major or resear search ch stud udy y about out soci cial al capit ital al in the city y of Toro oronto nto. Social cial capital pital is the term rm used ed to descr scribe ibe the vibran rancy cy of social ocial networ tworks ks • and d the e extent tent to which ch there ere is trus ust t and d recipr ciproci ocity ty within thin a comm mmun unity ity and d among mong indivi dividua uals ls. It is the essential “lubricant” that makes it possible for societies to • functio nction, n, and d for r people eople to get t along ong peacef acefull ully even n when en they y have e little ttle in commo ommon. n. 3

WHA HAT T IS S SO SOCI CIAL AL CA CAPITAL? ITAL? The e conce ncept pt of social ocial capital pital gain ined ed wides espr pread ead attentio ention n in the past st • few decade cades s thro roug ugh h the work ork of noted ted Ameri erican can poli liti tical cal scie ientis ntist t Ro Robert ert Putna nam and d his s semina minal work rk, Bo Bowli ling g Alone. one. There ere is ample ple empiri pirical cal eviden idence ce showin owing g that t high igh levels vels of such ch • reciprocity, trust and connection are not simply “feel good” notions, but key y ingr gredie edients nts to makin king g comm mmun unities ities product roductive, ive, healthy lthy and safe. e. 4

ABOUT AB T TH THE ST STUDY DY The e survey urvey sampl mpling ing of 3,200 200 Toro oronto ntoni nian ans s was desig signed ned to includ clude e a • repres presentati entative e sampl mple e of resid sidents ents (18 8 years rs of age e and d older) der). Additi dition onal al steps eps were re taken ken to increase crease the repr presen esentatio tation n of indi dividu vidual als s from om • severa veral l specific pecific group roups s identif entified ied as impo portant tant for r this is stud udy y (specifica pecificall lly, , resid sidents ents 65 years rs and d older, der, and d indivi dividu dual als s who o self lf-id identif entify y as Bl Black, ck, Chin inese ese or South outh Asia ian, n, the e three ree large rgest st ethni nic c groups roups in the e city) y). . 5

AB ABOUT T TH THE ST STUDY DY The e NIA, A, with h suppor pport t from om the e LIFE E Institu stitute te at Ry Ryerso rson n Univer iversity, sity, • partne rtnered ed on the proje oject ct with th the e specif ecific ic goal al of better ter unde ders rstan tandi ding ng the soci cial al stan andi ding ng of senio niors rs in Toro oronto nto. The e Age e Frien iendly dly City ty movem vement ent has s been n growin rowing g in recen ent t years rs, and d new • atten enti tion on to issue ssues of soci cial al isola solatio tion n led d to our r need ed to better ter under derstan tand the e conne nnective ctive soci cial al tissu ssue e that t under derli lies es the built lt enviro ironm nmen ent t and d how w people ople exper perien ience ce city y life fe more ore broadly oadly. . 6

AB ABOUT T TH THE ST STUDY DY Crea eati ting ng an Index dex to track ack and d comp mpar are e Socia ial Capital pital across ross the e measu asures res. The e pres esentatio entation n of result sults s is organ ganized ized aroun ound d four ur prim imary ary dimen imensio ions ns of • soci cial al capital pital as inform formed ed by the resear search ch liter erature ature: : social ocial trus ust, t, social cial netwo works ks, civic ic conn nnectio ection, n, and d neig ighb hbou ourh rhood d supp ppor ort. t. For each dimension an “index score” was created to provide a concise measure • for r making aking comp ompari ariso sons ns acros ross s popu pula latio tion n subg bgro roup ups s (and d over er time me when en future ture sur urvey veys s are e cond nducted ucted). ). Each index is scored from “0” (lowest possible score) to “10” (highest possible • scor ore). e). 7

DIMENSIONS OF SOCIAL CAPITAL 1. 1. Social cial Trust: rust: the e sens nse e of trus ust t Toron oronton tonia ians ns have e in one e anothe other r and d city ty institu stitutio tions ns. 2. 2. Socia cial l Netwo twork rks: s: the e stren rengt gth of resid siden ents ts' ' infor formal al and d form rmal al rela latio tions nshi hips. s. 3. 3. Civic vic Connectio onnection: n: the e extent tent to which ch peop ople le are e civical ically engag gaged. d. 4. 4. Neigh ighbour bourho hood d Suppor pport: t: how w citizen tizens see e thei eir r neighbo ighbour urhood ods s as suppor pporting ting the type e of life e and enviro ironm nmen ent t they y want t for r themse emselves. lves. 8

KEY FINDINGS 1. Social Trust • Trus ust t in other her peop ople le and in instituti stitution ons s is one e of the e central ntral dimen imensio ions ns of soci cial al capital pital, defin ined ed as the extent tent to which ich indi divid vidua uals s trust ust (or r distru strust) st) other hers s with h whom om they y may y have e relatio ations nshi hips ps and/or d/or social ocial interacti teraction ons. s. For r this is reaso ason, n, trus ust t is amon ong g the most ost widely dely stud udied ied and d valid idated ated aspect pects s of • soci cial al capital. pital. 9

KEY FINDINGS Social Trust Overal rall, social cial trust ust in Toro oronto nto is reaso asona nably bly stro rong ng and d compar mparab able le to that t of • Cana nadia ians ns in genera neral. l. Acros ross s the city, ty, genera neral l trust ust is highes ighest t amon ong g older der Toro oronto nto resid sidents ents, peaking aking • at ages es 55 and d lowe west t for r the e 25-29 29 age e group roup. It is simila milarly ly high gher er for r peop ople le who o identif entify y as white ite and d who o have e househ ousehol old d • incom comes es over er $100 100,00 ,000/year 0/year. . Social cial trus ust t appears pears to increas crease e with th age, e, wealth, lth, and d majori ority ty status. atus. • More re work rk is being ng done one to unders nderstand tand the differ ferences ences betwee ween n older der peop ople le by • incom come e and d race. e. 10

KEY FINDINGS Social Trust 11

KEY FINDINGS Social Trust The e most ost comm mmonly nly-us used ed questi estion on to measu asure re genera neral l trust ust asks ks people eople • which ich of two o opp pposi sing ng statemen atements ts is close osest st to their ir own n view: w: “overall, most people can be trusted” or “you cannot be too careful in • dealing with people” A modes odest t majori jority (55%) 5%) of Toro ronto to resid sidents ents agree ree with th the e positive ositive • statement “ overa verall ll, , most ost peopl ople e can be trusted usted ”, compared with four in ten (40%) who maintain instead that “ you ou canno nnot t be too oo carefu eful l in deal aling ing with th peop ople le ” (the remaining 6% did not offer a response to this question). 12

KEY FINDINGS Social Trust 13

KEY FINDINGS 2. Social Networks Anothe other r essentia ssential l dimens mensio ion n of social cial capital ital is the presen esence ce and d qual ality ity of • pers rson onal al conne nnectio ctions ns that t indivi ndividu dual als s have e with th other hers s throug rough h their eir social ocial netwo works, ks, includi cluding ng family mily and d frien iends. s. Social ties play various roles in peoples’ lives, fulfilling practical functions • (helpin elping g out, t, making king connectio onnections ns to valuable luable reso sources urces) ) and d providi roviding ng emotio motiona nal l support. upport. The e survey urvey exami amine ned d social ocial netwo twork rks, s, in terms rms of the e extent tent to which ch • Toron oronto tonia nians ns have e famil ily members mbers and d frien iends s they y can n count unt on, , and d the e type e and d frequen equency cy contact. ntact. 14

KEY FINDINGS Social Networks 15

KEY FINDINGS Social Networks 16