How Early Childhood is the Foundation of Social Capital (with Chris Bullivant)

Katharine Stevens interviews Chris Bullivant about the importance of social capital to a thriving society and his fascinating new report, The Early Years. The report emphasizes the crucial role of early nurturing care in building social capital, arguing that the foundation of social capital is formed through children’s secure attachment established in the birth-to-three period.

Bullivant explains the need to rebuild social capital to address the widespread breakdown of trust in society, and highlights challenges the U.S. faces in promoting social capital, including financial instability and isolation of parents with young children. He emphasizes the importance of public investment in the early years, calling for federal policies that can help parents build secure attachment with their young children through initiatives like paid family leave, the creation of family hubs, and boosting community organizations that can support parents.

Finally, Bullivant highlights the need for promoting better public understanding of attachment theory and the profound role of parents’ nurturing care in infant and toddler development.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Social capital refers to the rich network of relationships between individuals, including family, friends, and community organizations. 
• Secure attachment developed in the early years forms the basic building block of social capital and is crucial for positive mental health, educational attainment, economic success, and the ability to form caring, loving relationships. 
• Policy ideas such as paid family leave, family hubs, and support for community organizations can help build social capital and support parents in the early years. 
• A public education campaign is needed to promote better understanding of attachment theory and the importance of early nurturing care for infants and toddlers.  

ABOUT THE GUEST

Chris Bullivant is the director of the Social Capital Campaign, founded in 2021 to promote social capital and the institutions that create it. Prior to this work, Chris helped launch UnHerd, a British news and opinion website and two think tanks: U.K. 2020, which focused on improving environmental policy and global food security and the Center for Social Justice, a London-based think tank promoting government policies that tackle the root causes of poverty.

Chris has written for USA Toda

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