Are social networks like a fishery digital data, or muscles? It’s a complex question that vexes many people who examine about social networks and social capital. In order to even frame the question, we need to explore economic theory. Let’s start with the fishery model. No one owns the sea or the fish within it. […]

You’ve probably heard that a college education provides a road to a bright future–challenging careers and financial wealth. That’s what the American education system has promised us for years upon years. . . . “The average American with a college diploma still earns about 75% more than a worker with a high-school diploma and is […]

How does Social Capital work in stressed communities? That’s a question that researchers asked in two contexts: 1) after Hurricane Andrew and 2) within an economically disadvantaged community. Formal support–support offered by official agencies, governments, etc. Informal support–support from core network (family and closest friends) A friend of mine, who grew up in Appalachia, describes […]

This weekend, I drove between Chicago and St. Louis. At one point, one of my passengers asked me how far it was to a specific exit. I replied by saying, “It’s at mile marker 22.” Then, a few minutes later, I said, “you know, it might be mile marker 18.” When we reached the exit, […]