Community learning and social capital: “just having a little chat”

Abstract

In any regional community there may be more potential in termsof people's skills and expertise, and in terms of resources and facilities, thanmost people realise. Social capital is a term used to describe the social oganisation and productive synergy underpinning community ‘spirit’. Strongtraditions, networks, norms and trust are areas characteristic of community spirit. Beside these characteristics there is reason to believe an informal learning network, not often recognised as such, operates to achieve that spirit. Every day learning activities occur. These activities are not often graced with the term ‘learning’ since they are not part of an accredited learning policy environment, yet they exist in force. Learning may occur at a local club or in groups such as the Country Women's Association meeting, the Rotary Club, the sporting venue, the Landcare Group or the Parents andFriends Association. Learning also occurs while waiting to pick up the children from school, chatting with a neighbour over the back fence, unwinding at the local pub or after church. What is the nature of this learning? How does it contribute to the overall effect called ‘community learning’? What role does this learning have for the individual, for the local networks and for the community as a whole? This paper will describe a pilot conducted in a regional community whose purpose is to identify indicators of ‘community learning’. It will outline the research methods used and attempt to answer some of the questions raised.