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International Handbook on the Demography of Marriage and the Family pp 139–156Cite as

The Social Capital of Rural Demography of Marriage, Cohabitation, and Divorce

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Part of the book series: International Handbooks of Population ((IHOP,volume 7))

Abstract

Rural communities in the United States are both unique and similar to one another (Dillon and Henly 2008). They are unique in the fact that there are many configurations that involve varying racial composition, length of tenure, religious observance, political values, and sources of employment. However, they share similarities in that rural communities are often closely-knit groups that share social capital. Social capital can be described as potential resources within and among a community, based on interpersonal relations that reify norms and include “networks, norms, and trust–that enable participants to act together more effectively” (Putnam 1995:664; Bourdeiu 1984). It has been argued that social capital is declining in America generally (Putnam 1995; Vance 2016), however, many of the factors involved in preserving close social ties such as long-term home ownership, small community size, shared beliefs, and intertwined networks remain stable in rural communities. It is close adherence to social norms, though varying from one rural community to the next, that unites and defines rural America in ways that are unique from suburban or urban populations. This chapter will look specifically at how social capital, unique to rural areas, shapes the ways that the marriage market is practiced in these communities.

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    Janet Reynolds & Carol S. Walther

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    A. J. J. Bourque

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Reynolds, J., Walther, C.S. (2020). The Social Capital of Rural Demography of Marriage, Cohabitation, and Divorce. In: Farris, D.N., Bourque, A.J.J. (eds) International Handbook on the Demography of Marriage and the Family. International Handbooks of Population, vol 7. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35079-6_10

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