Presentation  Presentation  

Summary

Link: Networks e Synergies

Social Development Networks

Chapter 1

Housing quality

Chapter 2

The centre and the suburbs: different systems of mobility

Chapter 3

The family and solidarity

Chapter 4

Quality of education network

Chapter 5

Living the employment network

Economic Networks

Chapter 6

Links within the economic system

Chapter 7

The trade network

Chapter 8

Veneto agriculture network

Chapter 9

Mountain synergies

Chapter 10

Production networks

Chapter 11

The distribution network

Chapter 12

Tourism: synergy between sectors and networks between individuals

Institutional services and
networks

Chapter 13

The network for workplace health prevention

Chapter 14

The Veneto model for the integration of social and healthcare services

Chapter 15

Public Administration: services for citizens and businesses

Chapter 16

Telematic networks in Veneto

Chapter 17

The environmental and territorial checking networks

Chapter 18

Cross-border institutional networks

Chapter 19

Inter-institutional local models




3 - The family and solidarity

Back in 1916, Hanifan defined "social capital" as that in life which makes "tangible substances count for most in the daily lives of people: namely, goodwill, fellowship, mutual sympathy and social intercourse among a group of individuals and families who make up a social unit [...] The individual is helpless socially, if left to himself [...] If he comes into contact with his neighbour, and they with other neighbours, there will be an accumulation of social capital, which may immediately satisfy his social needs and which may bear a social potentiality sufficient to the substantial improvement of living conditions in the whole community" (Hanifan, 1916). The depth of relationships between family members, friends and within society can contribute to improving our quality of life. This aspect of the well-being of a person and society has also been strongly focussed on in the Lisbon Agenda which, as one of its points for development, aims at encouraging social participation, solidarity and inclusion.
The family is the primary social context within which the closest and most important relationships are created, also because they are strengthened by blood ties. The family plays a crucial role in the development of the individual and is the main source of tangible and emotional support, as well as providing social integration and a feeling of belonging. As a model of social cohesion, its importance reaches out to the whole of society: the family represents the main starting point for the social capital of a local community as it is from the family that one learns to build up trust, a spirit of collaboration and the concept of fairness towards others. The higher the family social capital then the greater the ability to nourish positive, trusting behaviour both within and outside of the family; this style of behaviour often then leads people to participate in civic activities for the community and in voluntary work.
In Italy in particular the family plays a central role, not only because of cultural reasons and tradition but also because it often has to compensate for the shortfalls of the public welfare system. The Italian model of welfare has, as a matter of fact, always been based upon the availability of the family to give emotional and concrete support to its most vulnerable members: in this way the family continues to act as a type of social shock-absorber, protecting its members from situations of weakness and in the moving from one crucial stage of life's cycles to the next.



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English translation by the University of Padova Language Centre.