Rehabilitation Counseling in the Context of Family Capital: Chapter 4

he term capital is used here with a caveat. Modified with the family adjective, we seek to highlight the dynamic aspect of the term while minimizing the economic connotations. A family’s capital is its reservoir of resources (Hobfoll, 1989, 2001) put into social circulation for the family good. The term capital implies an intent to invest and trade between parties. The resource can be any asset: for example, goods, services, structures, systems, formal and informal care, paid and volunteer work, knowledge, experience, skills, policies, relationships, trust, resilience, opportunities, personal attributes, values and beliefs, time, and space. The investment is in the physical, psychological, or social advancement of the family or its members. Trade or exchange in family life is much more than economic. It is the commerce of social wellness. Trade in family capital builds on the family identity. The interdependence of family members is defined in their transactions. Family trade is negotiated through family roles. The individual gives to family according to his or her roles and resources. He or she takes from the family according to his or her roles and needs. The cost of membership is family participation, and participation is its own reward.