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Research and policy approaches to risk are recognised as falling into two cultures, most commonly referred to as artefact and constructionist. Moreover, within constructionism, a continuum of positions exists from weak constructionist in which risks may be viewed as cultural mediations of ‘real’ dangers or hazards, to strong constructionist in which the ‘dangers’ or ‘hazards’ are themselves perceived as socially constructed. In this article a similar continuum of epistemological positions in relation to pathways is developed, and then findings from projects in the ESRC Network ‘Pathways Into and Out of Crime’ demonstrate how constructionist perspectives have generated new insights into the way in which traditional risk factors operate for young people. Examples based on three classically identified risk factors are presented. First, the complex and multidimensional effects of school exclusion are highlighted. Second, the nature of social networks is explicated and the role of their components as both potential risk and protective factors proposed.Third, the need for drugs to be understood within their cultural and historical contexts is identified, and the potential role of drugs as a mediator between other life stresses and offending portrayed. In conclusion, the value of synthesising rather than disputing paradigms to produce different layers of knowledge is discussed.

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This paper considers work the authors have done with community projects to explore the meaning and usefulness of social capital. It sets out the model of social capital developed from this work, which has enabled the discussion and application of social capital to move from academia into local neighbourhoods and communities. It goes on to consider the relationship between social capital and social policy, and concludes that, whilst it is hard to ascertain whether social policy can directly develop social capital, it is however possible for policy to create environments which either allow for the enhancement of social capital, or harm it.

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