Affiliations: School of Social Work, Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel | Harvard Law School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA | William and Mary Law School, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, USA
Note: [] Corresponding author: Tal Araten-Bergman, School of Social Work,
Social Welfare and Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa
31905, Israel. Tel.: +972 54 4903658; E-mail: talaraten@gmail.com
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Employment, social capital, and community
participation have emerged in recent years as significant concepts for
realizing the human rights of individuals with disabilities. Yet the
theoretical interrelationship of these concepts remains largely overlooked, as
does the empirical basis for understanding the underlying connections. OBJECTIVES: This study explores the relationship between employment
status, social capital, community participation, and well-being among Israelis
with disabilities. It also explores the unique contribution of social capital
to the well-being and integration of individuals with disabilities. METHOD: 274 participants with self-reported disabilities completed a
questionnaire containing measures of individual social capital, community
participation, well-being, and background data. Correlation and Univariate
analysis were used to compare scores between employed (n=131) and
non-employed (n=143) participants, and logistic regression analysis was
conducted to test the unique contribution of employment to social inclusion and
well-being. RESULTS: Employed participants reported significantly
higher levels of social capital and were more integrated in leisure and civic
activities than their non-employed counterparts. Moreover, employment status
was found to have a significant contribution to the variance in the subjective
well-being of participants. CONCLUSIONS: By more fully understanding the importance of social capital for community inclusion, practitioners can
better address the importance of network-building during the rehabilitation
process as a means of promoting social and vocational integration.
Keywords: Community integration, labor force participation, bonding capital, bridging capital
