Great Retirement Spots - Best Places to Retire - Real Estate - Active Adult Communities - Homes - Retirement 55+

Great Retirement Spots - Best Places to Retire - Real Estate - Active Adult Communities - Homes - Retirement 55+
 Social Capital versus Social Relations

Social capital is a sociological concept which refers to the value of social relationships. It refers to the role of cooperation and confidence that get economic results for our society. In addition, it refers to the collective value of all social networks and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other. Therefore, social networks play an important role in defining our culture, as well as in our personal lives.

Over the last 40 years, studies have shown that there has been a significant loss of social capital within the United States. This relates to lower levels of trust in government and lower levels of civic participation that may be caused by the popularity of television and urban sprawl. Television and urban sprawl have had a significant role in making America far less connected. Baby boomers, whose generation has been a prominent factor in the measurement of social networks during this period, became increasingly withdrawn from activities including volunteering, political participation, civic participation, religious participation, connections in the workplace, and informal social connections. The resulting effect is not only a loss of social community, but the loss of social relationships on an individual basis.

An Epiphany of Reality

As the baby boomer ages, distractions of the past are being put aside to resume active participation in building their social infrastructure.

When baby boomers turn 60 the realization that life has changed begins to set in. Some sociologists term the stage between 50 and 70 years of age as middlescence. I like to call it the active empty nesters phase of life. It is time when baby boomers no longer have the duties of raising a family; they still have an exceedingly large amount of energy and realize it is time to enjoy those activities that they have put on hold. I believe this is the time when baby boomers will again dominate our economy by reversing the trends over the last 40 years.