Family Matters: Linking Social Network to Subjective Life Satisfaction with a Sample of Korean Community Residents

Background and Purpose:

Social capital is among the strongest correlates of individuals’ life satisfaction. However, its role in promoting life satisfaction among community residents was not that explored in prior Korean literature. The measurement of social capital and its role in promoting life satisfaction among community residents has been also of concern to local policy practitioners who serve the residents. The purpose of the study is to investigate the effects of social capital on individuals’ life satisfaction among community residents. In specific, the study set up an integrated model with the perceived social network of the community residents as independent variable, their family resilience as a mediator, and their subjective life satisfaction as dependent variable. Social capital theory and the conservation of resource theory provide a theoretical framework for the study.

Methods: 

The data of the study is a part of a comprehensive survey that was implemented in order to assess the community residents’ social service needs with in a metropolitan city area in South Korea. The study sample was recruited via stratified sampling to represent all community residents. A total of 423 residents were responded. Structural equation modeling was used to test the conceptual model. In the study, several constructs were measured using several standardized reliable measures such as social network scale (alpha=.927), family resilience(alpha=.864), life satisfaction(alpha=.947). Bias-corrected(BC) bootstrap method was used to determine whether the indirect of the prediction on the dependent variable. FIML(full information maximum likelihood) was employed to handle missing data in Mpus 7.2.

Results:

The finding of the SEM analyses supported the proposed conceptual model. There were significant and positive relationships between social network and family resilience(β= .266, p< .001) and between family resilience and life satisfaction(β= .323, p< .001). In addition, it was found that the effects of perception of social network among community residents on their subjective life satisfaction were mediated by their level of family resilience (β= .085, p= .006). The parsimonious model fit the data well (chi-square= 490.893, df=146, p=.000, RMSEA=0.076, CFI=0.943, TLI=0.934, SRMR=0.043). The results indicate that social network indirectly determines their perceived life satisfaction by influencing family resilience (affective family relationship) among community residents.

Conclusion and Implications: Several significant pathways in the model were identified. In specific, it was found that the perception of family resilience among community residents plays an important role in linking social network to life satisfaction among community residents. The findings of the study provide policy practitioners with practical implications for family-focused policies among Korean local governments.