Eriksson Ulrika, Asplund Kenneth, Sellström Eva
Department of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, Ostersund, Sweden.
Rural Remote Health. 2010 Jul-Sep;10(3):1322. Epub 2010 Aug 5.
People are influenced by the neighborhood in which they live. The neighborhood may be particularly important for children's wellbeing because of the constraints it imposes on their patterns of daily activities. Furthermore, the neighborhood is a central context for social development, being a place where children form networks and learn social skills and values. The aim of this study was to describe how social capital in the neighborhood is perceived by children living in rural areas, and to reveal what this adds to their sense of wellbeing.
The study had a descriptive research design with a qualitative approach. Seven single-sex focus group interviews were conducted with children the in 6th grade (aged 11-12 years). Data were analyzed using deductive content analysis.
The children perceived a lack of social capital due to environmental and social constraints in their everyday lives. However, their wellbeing was enhanced by strong cohesion in the neighborhood. In addition, settings such as the school, the natural environment, and sporting associations were highly valued and emerged as crucial factors for enhancing the children's wellbeing. The spatial isolation that characterizes rural areas created a special context of social network structures, cohesion and trust, but was also a breeding ground for exclusion and social control. The stories revealed paradoxical feelings of living in a good and safe area that simultaneously felt isolated and restricted.
From a rural perspective, this study reveals the complexity of the children's perceptions of their social environment, and the ways in which these perceptions have both positive and negative effects on wellbeing. The results highlight how important it is for health professionals in rural areas to consider the complex influence of bonding social capital on children's wellbeing, and to be aware that it can promote exclusion as well as cohesion.
人们会受到其居住社区的影响。社区对于儿童的幸福安康可能尤为重要，因为它限制了儿童的日常活动模式。此外，社区是社会发展的核心环境，是儿童建立人际关系网络、学习社交技能和价值观的场所。本研究的目的是描述农村地区儿童对社区社会资本的认知，并揭示这对他们的幸福感有何影响。
本研究采用定性描述性研究设计。对六年级（11 - 12岁）的儿童进行了七次单性别焦点小组访谈。采用演绎性内容分析法对数据进行分析。
由于日常生活中的环境和社会限制，儿童们感觉到社会资本匮乏。然而，社区内强大的凝聚力提升了他们的幸福感。此外，学校、自然环境和体育协会等环境受到高度重视，并成为提升儿童幸福感的关键因素。农村地区特有的空间隔离营造了社会网络结构、凝聚力和信任的特殊环境，但同时也是排斥和社会控制的滋生地。这些故事揭示了生活在一个美好且安全的地区却同时感到孤立和受限的矛盾感受。
从农村的角度来看，本研究揭示了儿童对其社会环境认知的复杂性，以及这些认知对幸福感产生的积极和消极影响。结果凸显了农村地区的健康专业人员考虑联结型社会资本对儿童幸福感的复杂影响，并意识到它既能促进凝聚力也能导致排斥的重要性。
