RESEARCH

“Grounded in the Neighborhood, Grounded in Community”: Social Capital and Health in Community Gardens

This study found that community gardens build social networks, offer resource sharing, preserve cultural knowledge, and reinforce collective efficacy, thus supporting their consideration as a public health strategy.

Program Types: Therapeutic, Social

Population Groups: Older Adults/Seniors, Children/Youth, Immigrants/Refugees, General Population

Setting or Context: Community Gardens, Urban vs. Rural Settings

Health and Wellness Outcomes: Improved Mental Health, Enhanced Emotional Well-being, Increased Sense of Belonging (Reduced Isolation), Improved Stress Management, Improved Physical Health, Better Nutritional Awareness, Increased Social Engagement & Skills, Increased Horticultural Knowledge, Increased Self-Efficacy, Community Building

Allied Profession Intersections: Social Work, Education

Type of Activity: Outdoor Gardening, Edible Plant Gardening, Meal/Diet-Based Activities, Plant Propagation

Evidence Type: Peer-Reviewed Studies, Qualitative Research

Measurement and Evaluation: Program Effectiveness

Access: Paid

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Summary

This paper explores how community gardens generate social capital and its implications for health. The analysis draws on data from focus groups with 32 gardeners from four community gardening programs in Boston and Lynn, MA, representing a diverse sample. The study identifies four mechanisms through which community gardening increases social capital: building social networks, providing opportunities for resource sharing and social support, preserving cultural knowledge and practice, and reflecting and reinforcing collective efficacy.

The research highlights that community gardens offer community-level benefits beyond individual participants. This supports considering community gardening as a strategy for amplifying community assets in support of public health, contrasting previous studies that suggested social capital generated in gardens doesn’t extend beyond active gardeners.

Link

Shostak, S., & Guscott, N. (2017). Grounded in the neighborhood, grounded in community: Social capital and health in community gardens. In Shostak, Food systems and health. Emerald Publishing, 199-222.

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