The dispersion of dependency grids: a method for estimating the social support

Abstract

In this paper we introduce the Dispersion of Dependency Grid Procedure (DDG) for the measuring of social support patterns, understood as the intersection of trust and social capital. DDG is a relatively unknown procedure (at least in the Spanish social research tradition) that provides quantitative as well as qualitative data of the social support patterns for a given group or community. We begin with a review of the literature on support and social capital and a summary of the origin and theory of the grid technique, followed by the method of administration, scoring and analysis of the dependency grid using a case study. Finally, we explain the advantages and limitations of this instrument, in order to facilitate its future use.