Families, reciprocal care and social capital

The concern expressed that individuals and families are increasingly becoming antisocial and disconnected from the society in which they live has dominated discussions of social capital. Often an assumption is made that families are 'disconnected, self-sufficient entities' (Hansen 2005).

A precursory look at the research would suggest there are few case studies that explore levels of social connection in Australian families. THere appears little written on these networks of interdependence, built around children and characterised by reciprocity, one of the key elements of social capital. As families become economically strained, there is little doubt that families increasingly suffer from an internal, familial labour shortage.

Women particularly are forced to work much longer hours as they combine paid work and unpaid work. In Australia, the workforce participation rate for women of child bearing ages (25-44 years) has increased to 72%. How then do families mobilize the help needed to care for children, in an ever increasing time-scarce society?

This chapter will report on a case study of family social capital in regional Australia. It will examine case study data collected via an explanatory sequential design. THis design had two distinct phases. In the first stage, a survey method was used and data was collected from a large representative sample on patterns of reciprocity and participation in families. This data was enhanced by a qualitative data collected in a second stage. Here the researcher explored in detail a week in the life of a sample of women who were all mothers and focused upon the constellation of relationships drawn on to negotiate their lives. Gaps in knowledge will be highlighted along with suggestions for future research designs.