The (Social Distanced) Circle of Family, Friends, and Allies: How COVID-19 Is Re-shaping Social Capital and New Opportunities for Research

Covid-19 has fundamentally changed the way individuals and groups interact in their everyday lives and, thus, key constructs within social capital research. These social changes, to be explored in this chapter, are (1) trust, (2) group membership (for good or bad), and (3) social isolation. The chapter highlights novel research opportunities including well-being benefits of non-human communities, an unprecedented “natural experiment,” and the longer-term impacts of social change on both health and social capital itself. Through its re-shaping of social capital, COVID-19 offers changes which may have meaningful influence on health and well-being, beyond its direct deleterious effects. It is vital that we reflect on previous social structures and new possibilities afforded by the disruption of systems and hegemonic structures which are only now possible and could make for a healthier, equitable future.