Social Capital, Economic Development, and Homicide: A Cross-National Investigation

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Publication Details

Output type: Journal article

Author list: Robbins B, Pettinicchio D

Publisher: Springer

Publication year: 2012

Journal: Social Indicators Research (0303-8300)

Volume number: 105

Issue number: 3

Start page: 519

End page: 540

Number of pages: 22

ISSN: 0303-8300

eISSN: 1573-0921

Languages: English-Great Britain (EN-GB)

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Open access status: green

Full text URL: https://zenodo.org/record/5816138/files/Social%20Capital%2C%20Economic%20Development%2C%20and%20Homicide.pdf

Abstract

This article draws from an ongoing debate over explanations of homicide. Within this debate, we investigate the pro-social effects of civil society and social capital. Few cross-national studies explore whether elements of social capital either increase or decrease homicide. The cross-national work that does is often characterized by small, homogeneous samples and the use of inappropriate statistical techniques. Replicating elements of Lederman et al.'s (Econ Dev Cult Change 50:509-539, 2002) original study but with wave IV World Values Survey data and negative binomial regression, we find weak support for the beneficial consequences of social capital on homicide. One dimension of social capital, however, does exhibit a significant negative association with homicide rates, net of other influences: social activism. We also fail to support the Durkheimian hypothesis that the negative effect of social capital on homicide is conditional on modernization. We explore the implications of the findings along with avenues for future research.

Keywords

Cross-national homicide, Economic development, Social capital

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