Spatial analysis of social capital in the Philadelphia area: Does connection matter?

Measures of social capital have been associated with health indicators, generally as a way to aid in the development and implementation of health programs. Social capital measures have not been widely used to inform about decisions related to violence prevention programs. For this feasibility study, we examined the links between social capital variables from a household survey of the Greater Philadelphia region and publicly accessed violence data to generate geospatial relationships. Ten items assessing community participation and involvement, extent of local social networks, and trust and reciprocity within the neighborhood were combined to create a measure of social capital. Our study used GIS technology and SPSS to analyze the relationship between this measure and violent crimes committed with a weapon and then map this information. The combination of the maps and the quantitative analysis helped to shape the decisions of a violence prevention center in Philadelphia in determining their interventions and policy ideas for future assistance.