Thilo Boeck

1
The Context of Risk Decisions Does Social
Capital Make a Difference?

• Thilo Boeck
• Jennie Fleming
• Hazel Kemshall

2
Key objectives

• To investigate whether social capital has any
  role in the risk decisions and negotiations of
  young people
• With particular reference to crime risk pathways
  (but not exclusively)
• And with attention to resilience as well as risk

3
SC might be important because

• There are reflexivity winners and reflexivity
  losers
• Differing opportunities to make informed choices
• Social resources are important to self-efficacy
  and agency
• Role of locale, network and community in risk
  decisions

4
The risk-taker?

• The Prudential Human
• The prudential human who will make rational and
  correct choices
• The Gambling Human
• The gambling human balancing the benefits of
  positive risk-taking against our risk aversion to
  the costs that may follow
• Or The Navigator?
• The navigator sometimes gambling, sometimes
  prudential, exposed to outside forces trying to
  hold the sails. Depending on the quality of the
  ship and surrounded by other humans with their
  skills and weaknesses

5
Social capital is

• a social asset
• which consists of social interactions, networks
  and network opportunities,
• which either people, groups or communities have
• within a specific environment of mutual trust and
  reciprocity
• and which are informed by specific norms and
  values.

6
Pathways our perspective

• Pathways are complex and dynamic.
• Interaction between the individual, external
  forces, and local context.
• Relationship between agency and structure.

7
Methodology and Sample
8
Risk Stagnation
9
Risk Navigation
10
From Stagnation to Navigation
11
Role of agencies

• rather than facilitating prudentialism
  supporting navigation
• risks are not individually framed and not only
  subject to individual negotiation
  (cognitive/rational choice approach)
• Formalised systems for assessing and managing
  risks have a limited scope
• Response to young people
• Instead of Blame take into account social
  settings and power imbalances
• Instead of Regulation work with young people
  rather than for or on them
• Instead of Responsibilisation look at
  opportunities or lack of them