Social Capital Formation Research Articles

Theoretical aspects of social capital formation in Ukraine

Purpose. The aim of the article is to research features of domestic approaches to interpretation of essence, structural filling and specifics of formation of social capital in Ukraine. Methodology of research. The following methods are used to achieve this goal: induction and deduction, theoretical generalization, abstraction, dialectical cognition – in the study of scientific sources and research of theoretical aspects of social capital formation in Ukraine, including the interpretation of the definition of “social capital” by domestic scientists and identification of social capital; graphic – to visualize the components of social capital; abstract and logical – to generalize theoretical positions, to form conclusions and proposals on the research topic. Findings. The analysis of the main approaches to the interpretation of the category “social capital” is accumulated and carried out. Common and different features between the proposed interpretations are identified. The peculiarities of social capital as an economic category are studied and its role in the development of the state is noted. The main approaches to the classification of this concept are identified. The structural content of social capital is revealed. The necessity of research of the branch level of social capital is actualized and the specifics of its development under modern conditions in Ukraine are outlined. The main directions of social capital formation in Ukraine are determined. Originality. The study of theoretical aspects of social capital formation has been further developed, in particular, approaches to defining the essence of the category of “social capital” are generalized and the main directions of its formation at the state level are outlined. Practical value. The main provisions of this study can be used in the process of developing proposals for the formation of a model of social capital development in Ukraine. Key words: social capital, branch social capital, social relations, trust, positive social capital, negative social capital, society, structure of social capital.

A Study on the Relationship between Social Policy and Social Capital: Evidence from Asian Countries

There are two competing hypotheses regarding the relationship between social policy and social capital. The crowding-out hypothesis suggests that public resources allocated through social policies and programs eradicate various forms of social capital such as trust, social network and norms. The crowding-in hypothesis, on the contrary, emphasizes virtuous cycles between social policy and social capital. Empirical evidence, mostly conducted for Western countries with advanced economies, has not produced consistent findings regarding the relationship. This study empirically tested these hypotheses based on data from 24 Asian countries. This study further explored how relationships between social policy and social capital vary by sub-regions of Asian countries. Findings from both macro- and micro-level analysis suggest that social policy influences social capital differently according to the forms of social capital. There also seems to be heterogeneity across sub-regions in the relationship between social policy and social capital. Theoretical and policy implications as well as future research directions were further discussed.

Social capital, gender, and health: an ethnographic analysis of women in a Mumbai slum.

Quantitative studies have demonstrated that social capital can positively impact community health, but qualitative explorations of the factors mediating this relationship are lacking. Furthermore, while the world's poor are becoming increasingly concentrated in the cities of lower-middle income countries, most of the existing literature on social capital and health explores these variables in Western or rural contexts. Even fewer studies consider the impact of social constructs like race, gender, or class on the creation of social capital and its operationalization in health promotion.Our study aimed to address these gaps in the literature through an ethnographic exploration of social capital among women living in Kaula Bandar (KB) - a marginalized slum on the eastern waterfront of Mumbai, India. We then sought to identify how these women leveraged their social capital to promote health within their households. This was a mixed-method, qualitative study involving participant observation and 20 in-depth, semi-structured, individual interviews over a nine-month period. Field notes and interview transcripts were manually analyzed for recurring content and themes. We found that women in KB relied heavily on bonding social capital for both daily survival and survival during a health crisis, but that the local contexts of gender and poverty actively impeded the ability of women in this community to build forms of social capital - namely bridging or linking social capital - that could be leveraged for health promotion beyond immediate survival. These findings illustrate the context-specific challenges that women living in urban poverty face in their efforts to build social capital and promote health within their households and communities. Community-based qualitative studies are needed to identify the macro- and micro-level forces, like gender and class oppression, in which these challenges are rooted. Directly addressing these structural inequalities significantly increases the potential for health promotion through social capital formation.

Social Capital Formation among Kudumbshree Members in Kerala, India

Social Capital Formation among Kudumbshree Members in Kerala, India

The paradox of social capital: A case of immigrants, refugees and linguistic minorities in the Canterbury and Tohoku disasters

The usual argument in disaster research is that those with stronger social capital are more resilient; therefore, the socially vulnerable can be resilient. However, in the disaster literature, little attention has been paid to the reasons why the socially vulnerable develop social capital in the first place. This qualitative research explores reasons for the formation and avoidance of social capital in relation to linguistic minority immigrants and refugees in the 2010–2011 Canterbury and Tohoku disasters. Taking influence from Bourdieu, the argument is made that resilient individuals developed their multifaceted social capital due to the lack of other forms of capital and their specific needs in different contexts. However, contextualized social factors such as race, gender and class also influence others’ decision to avoid social capital. These reasons for not forming social capital in pre-/post-disaster can explain why some socially vulnerable were surprisingly resilient and others are further marginalized.

The generative principles of lifestyle enterprising: dialectic entanglements of capital-habitus-field

PurposeThe study seeks to shed light on the generative principles of enterprising by examining the practices of enterprisers in six lifestyle enterprises in Sweden. It presents a fresh approach to the study of lifestyle enterprises, resolving a nuanced treatment of the concepts of capital and habitus as often drawn upon in studies using the social theory of Pierre Bourdieu.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a grounded theory approach to examine enterprising practices in six lifestyle enterprises in Sweden. Study materials are derived principally from ethnographic observations and active interviews. The analytical procedure follows that of grounded theory, the analysis proceeding from the first field contacts and developing iteratively as the corpus expanded, with empirical themes giving way to formative concepts and sensitizing to the theoretical architecture of Pierre Bourdieu.FindingsThe findings offer insights into lifestyle enterprising, revealing how resourcing practices of capital deployment give shape to its practice. The findings reveal that capital deployment practices are not simply about conversion but may also involve practices, without substantive change to capital forms. Furthermore, the findings highlight that habitus significantly influences capital deployment practices.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the findings are limited to the study context, the study offers theoretical implications for study of enterprising. One is to highlight the importance of cultural capital in enterprising practices. Another is to highlight the variable construction of capitals, arising in connection to habitus. In pointing to the central generative role of habitus, the study suggests that cultural capital may underpin the formation of social capital. Overall, the findings indicate that researchers need to consider the mediating effects of habitus when investigating enterprising practices. More widely, this study responds and lends weight to, recent calls for more holistic and integrated treatments using Bourdieu's theory to further understandings of entrepreneurship as practice.Practical implicationsThis study offers implications for policy relating to enterprising practice. In particular, findings suggest that it might be wise to consider the alignment of habitus between those who provide and receive support, or in other words, having providers with the right cultural competence to offer useful help. It may be important for policy agents to be able to relate to the worldviews of those they seek to support.Originality/valueThe study directly responds to recent calls for more holistic and integrated approaches to the nascent line of inquiry using Bourdieu’s theory to gain insight into entrepreneurship as a practice, particularly in relation to the undertheorized phenomenon of lifestyle entrepreneurship. In doing so, the study serves to advance the practice-oriented conceptualization of lifestyle entrepreneurship as lifestyle entrepreneuring. The paper also offers a conceptual framework to assist researchers investigating enterprising practice.

Social inequality and access to social capital in microfinance interventions

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the inequality perpetuated through social categories in accessing the social capital generated through the microfinance interventions in India as the country has pronounced economic inequality by social categories like many developing stratified societies.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses survey data collected from 75 villages in rural India and tests whether the formation and maximization of social capital through self-help groups (SHGs) is dominated by social categories, e.g. high-caste groups, males and superior occupation classes. Using logistic regression framework, the study assesses the formation and maximization of social capital through multiple SHG membership.FindingsThe paper finds that the microfinance approach of empowering weaker sections is considerably limited in its success, in the sense that it provides them with the opportunity to the credit access and support through SHGs. But, the empirical model further indicates that social capital in form of these SHGs may fall prey to the dominant social categories, and thus, these institutions may potentially enhance inequality.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper is derived from the secondary data set, so it is unable to comment field reality qualitatively.Practical implicationsMicrofinance policy makers will have an improved understanding of inherent social inequalities while implementing group-based programs in socially stratified societies.Originality/valueSocial capital, if treated as an outcome accumulated in form of groups, provides with an important framework to assess the unequal access through the microfinance interventions. Overlooking the inherent unequal access will deceive the purpose of social justice in the group-based interventions. The microfinance and other welfare policies engaged in group formation and generating the social capital need to be more sensitive to the disadvantageous sections while focusing on multiple group access by disadvantaged social groups.

A formação do capital social no YouTube: estudo com base em um canal de divulgação científica de questões abordadas pela psicologia

Este artigo discute a inflência que o conteúdo publicado no YouTube exerce na formação do capital social, a partir da análise do vídeo mais popular de um canal de divulgação científia de questões abordadas pela psicologia e dos comentários a ele associados. Na análise dos comentários, foram utilizados os procedimentos metodológicos da teoria fundamentada. No fial da pesquisa, foram identifiadas três práticas discursivas que, no contexto de estudo, contribuem para a formação do capital social e de valores a ele relacionados. As formas de capital social encontradas com mais frequência foram a do capital relacional, do capital cognitivo e a da confinça no ambiente social. Entre os valores construídos pelos usuários em suas práticas discursivas estão a visibilidade, a legitimação e o suporte social. Esse último merece destaque por perpassar todas as categorias principais. Concluímos que o conteúdo do vídeo funciona como catalisador para diferentes práticas sociais que culminam na formação do capital social.

The Elusiveness of Equal Access to Educational Opportunity: Scotland, After a Decade of Inclusive Policies.

The achievement of equal access to educational opportunity is an international policy imperative that remains as elusive as it is desirable. Despite a plethora of inclusive policies and initiatives in Scotland such as Getting it Right for Every Child (2008 & 2012), Curriculum for Excellence (2009) and the Scottish Attainment Challenge (2015), significant numbers of young people cannot be said to experience equal access to educational opportunity. This paper draws upon complementary sociological and philosophical perspectives to explore why such barriers to equality of educational opportunity persist, before suggesting ways in which serious engagement with such theory might counter deficit assumptions in play and offer possible new ways forward. The point of departure is Bourdieu’s typology of various forms of social capital which highlights how possession of capital is advantageous to upper and middle class families, whereas lack of such capital serves to restrict educational opportunities for young people from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Such an analysis argues that reproduction of social conditions, styles of thinking and decision-making, coupled with oppressive societal structures, all serve to disempower young people and impact negatively upon their educational attainment. This paper explores a variety of ways in which theory might challenge and interrupt assumptions informing discourses associated with inequality and their associated remedies. Through engaging a series of problematics within current framings of inequality, the paper argues that a more sustained engagement with theory offers the possibility of more nuanced understandings of inequality and a provocation to imagine otherwise. Engaging in such imaginative work might, moreover, enable the barriers to equality of educational opportunity to be better addressed.

Educational Upward Mobility. Practices of Social Changes--Research on Social Mobility and Educational Inequality

Social class is defined by the possession of all forms of economic capital, cultural capital and social capital which together shape the kinds of experience and lifestyles. This process is dubbed symbolic violence by Pierre Bourdieu. Education is crucially linked to assets such as income, occupational position and social prestige. Educational upward mobility requires more than individual effort and intelligence, and sometimes different ingredients, such as specific social conditions. The different dimensions of inequality—income, poverty, social exclusion, education and social mobility—are interconnected. The paper has been inspired by Bourdieu’s work on symbolic domination and capitals, and lifestyles. The author identifies a persistence of inequalities among the students due to social reproduction mechanisms: family background and parents’ social situation have a substantial influence on the life chances. The empirical data of this study come from a survey in 2019. The paper ends with a summary of findings and conclusions.

Geographic Proximity to Parents, Intergenerational Support Exchange, and Migration Within Germany

Previous research on internal migration has emphasised the importance of local ties to family members outside the household, and to parents in particular. Family members who live close to an individual’s place of residence represent a form of local social capital that could make migrating costlier, and therefore less likely. This idea has been empirically supported. Yet, how family ties bind remains largely unexplained. We assume that intergenerational support is a manifestation of local social capital, and that spatial proximity is needed for support to be exchanged. Thus, we used mediation analysis that includes explicit measures of support exchanges between parents and their adult–children born in 1971–1973, 1981–1983, and 1991–1993 to explain the binding effect of living close to parents. Logistic regression models of migrating a distance of more than 40 km were conducted using eight waves of the German pairfam data. Living close to one’s parents was indeed found to be negatively associated with the likelihood of migration, and part of this association could be explained through intergenerational support: the more the instrumental support an adult child exchanged with her/his parent, the less likely she/he was to migrate. Receiving emotional support from the parents was associated with an increase in migration propensity. Neither giving emotional help nor receiving help with childcare functioned as mediators. It thus appears that adult children are particularly likely to value the proximity of their parents when they are exchanging instrumental support, but that the emotional bond between adult children and their parents can often be maintained over longer distances.

Sustainability of Live Video Streamer’s Strategies: Live Streaming Video Platform and Audience’s Social Capital in South Korea

Live streamers’ power and attraction influence consumer behavior. This study focuses on streamer-central formed social capital and the relationship between streamers and audiences on live streaming video platforms (LSVP). First, we explored the impact of trust, norm of reciprocity, and network on social capital formation. Second, we investigated the effect of social capital on streamers’ attributes (attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness) and on the audience’s social capital formation. The main findings show that trust and network positively affect social capital. Social capital increases the level of streamers’ attractiveness, expertise, and trustworthiness perceived by the audience, which facilitates sustainable development of the LSVP and the streamer. Perceived streamers’ attractiveness negatively affects social capital formation, while perceived expertise positively affects it. To promote social capital development, streamers and operators of LSVPs should continuously emphasize social capital formation. Moreover, LSVPs should provide audiences with novel and interesting content to enable active networking. For sustainable development of LSVPs, when providing live streaming video services, streamers should deliver content that the audience perceives as based on their expertise rather than on their physical attractiveness.

Secondary Schools and Inequality: Navigating the Fragmented Landscape of Educational Choices in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

This research aims to describe how parents navigate secondary education choices in Bishkek in the context of diverse school choice options. The paper uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, which include interviews and a complementary survey with parents. The paper provides an overview of the state of school options in Bishkek, explores parental motivations in choosing schools, and engages in a wider debate about educational inequality. By examining parental school choices and motivations, the research reveals that inequality in secondary education in Bishkek is multi-layered and depends on how families can utilize their resources: parents with larger resources in the form of financial, social, and cultural capital are most advantaged, while the majority of under-resourced families are left with little choice and schools of poor quality. This state of affairs has strong implications for the growing socio-economic inequality and creates additional cleavages between social groups.

A Local-Spatial Analysis of the Impact of Livelihood Capitals on the Formation of Social Capital in Rural Settlements (Case Study: Bojnourd County)

Purpose- The study of social capital in the context of location/space is a new approach that is dominated by the science of geography, and is seen as a way of distinguishing it from other sciences. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of livelihood capitals on social capital in rural areas of Bojnourd County. Design/methodology/approach- This study was a fundamental research, conducted in a descriptive-analytical method. Documentary methods and field works have been employed to collect the data. The population consisted of 22 villages with more than 20 households in Bojnourd County, selected from various population classes and distances from Bojnourd. Using Cochran formula and random sampling method, 298 households were selected from a total of 4849 households in the rural areas of the study area. Partial least squares technique and Smart PLS software were used to test the conceptual model of the research and the impact of livelihood capitals on social capital. Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) was used to evaluate the model efficiency at Bojnourd County level. Findings- According to the results, the coefficients of T among the main variables of the study were above 2.58, which means the relationship is significant and direct. Thus, local-spatial factors have a significant and positive effect on social capital. Based on total coefficients, human capital with the coefficient of 0.348 and physical capital with the coefficient of 0.136 respectively had the most and the least effect on social capital. The results of spatial analysis using GWR showed that the impact coefficient of livelihood capitals on social capital was highest in the villages of Atrabad Olia and Gharajeh, and in total about 45% of villages in the study area had an impact coefficient of 0.90 to 0.91. Research limitations/implications- As the study of livelihood capitals and analysis of their relationship with social capital is a fundamental challenge in achieving sustainable rural development that is missing in current studies, it is recommended that future studies pay more attention to social capital and the impact of livelihood capitals on its creation and rural development. Practical implications- Rural areas suffer from the lack of social capital, which is one of the most important types of development capital required to achieve sustainable rural development. Thus, enhancing the social capital and informing the villagers about the value and importance of local-spatial factors and the material and non-material capitals available in rural areas should be on the agenda of rural development researchers and planners.

Is there social capital in cities? The association of urban form and social capital formation in the metropolitan cities of Indonesia

ABSTRACT High-density urban development is claimed as a suitable urban form in enhancing social capital. However, the relationship between those two variables has not been well empirically explored, leading to the emergence of competing results in the literature. This study aimed to investigate the role of urban physical arrangement or urban form in the social capital formation using Indonesian metropolitan cities as a case study. This research was also the first empirical study to investigate the association between urban form and social capital in Indonesia. The multilevel logistic regression was used to investigate the association between the urban form and several indicators of social capital. The findings revealed that individuals in high residential density areas were less likely to know their neighbours, had lower levels of bridging trust, and less involved in the community’s activities. Meanwhile, street connectivity appeared to have a positive association with bridging trust but negatively related to social networks. Moreover, the land use mix did not seem to be significantly associated with any social capital variables. However, the aggregated data of urban form limited our ability of the present study to provide specific policy recommendations. Nonetheless, this study would still suggest that urban planners and policy makers should be mindful to consider that urban form features might influence the development of social capital. Highlights Multilevel logistic regression confirmed that urban form can be claimed to have association with the formation of social capital in metropolitan cities in Indonesia High density seems to have reverse relationship with the level of knowing neighbour, bridging trust and make residents less involve in community activities. High connectivity contributes in fostering the level of bridging trust but lowering social networks. Meanwhile, land use mix did not appear as significant predictor of social capital

Towards a Model of Olympic Social Capital: Theory and Early Evidence

Towards a model of Olympic social capital: Theory and early evidence Social capital in sports has become an increasingly studied topic. In particular, it has been argued that social capital is created by value-based cultural practices and social exchanges with respect to sport participation and sporting events. However, empirical evidence is scarce and does not capture causal relationships in the process of social capital creation. A general criticism in the social capital literature is that the existing theory falls short of modelling causalities in more detail. Therefore, this paper attempts to develop a causal model of social capital formation within the Olympic movement. It is an exemplary case because of the global esteem of the Olympic Games and their value foundation in Olympism. The worldwide awareness of the Olympics moreover creates social capital among spectators. However, the process of how the perception of Olympic values by spectators is transformed into Olympic social capital is not well understood. Thus, the theoretical modelling focuses on the so-called bridging capital accumulated by Olympic spectators. It is reasoned that the interrelationship of the three Olympic key values of respect, friendship and excellence is perceived and adopted by live spectators via a cyclic process of simultaneous experience resulting in a sustainable episodic memory. In contrast, broadcast spectators develop a dichotomous semantic memory, more influenced by socio-economic tensions caused by the commodification of the Olympic value of excellence. Hence, the live Olympic capital tends to be larger than the broadcast Olympic capital. The plausibility of the model’s propositions is illustrated by data from a cluster sample (N=1,703) of German broadcast spectators of and visitors to the 2016 Summer Olympics and 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games. The basic proposition of the larger live Olympic capital is confirmed, while the evidence for the emotional exposure and socio-economic environment when experiencing the event is mixed.

Co‐Ethnic and Neighborhood Ties and Financial Social Capital Formation Among the Urban Poor in Kenya

ObjectiveLacking access to formal institutions, the poor in developing countries often use informal savings groups to financially prepare for unexpected events. They often base these groups on social ties to reduce risks, which occur when group members do not make payments. This study examines whether Kenya's urban poor rely on social ties, such as co‐ethnicity and co‐residency, when forming informal savings groups.MethodsThis study uses list experiments on a sample of informal settlement residents in and around Nairobi.ResultsApproximately 28.7 percent and 17.5 percent of respondents would consider someone outside their ethnic group or informal settlement as a member of an informal savings group, respectively. Most respondents were reluctant to accept members without social ties, with greater reluctance against those outside the settlement.ConclusionsKenya's urban poor rely primarily on co‐residents for financial security, which elevates risk as they experience shocks simultaneously and cannot help one another.

Social media capital: Conceptualizing the nature, acquisition, and expenditure of social media-based organizational resources

The near-universal organizational participation in social media is predicated on the belief there are some tangible or intangible new resources to be had through tweeting, pinning, posting, friending, and sharing. We argue the linchpin of any payoff from engagement in social media is a special form of social capital we refer to as social media capital, and offer a conceptual framework for understanding its nature, acquisition, and expenditure. This paper contributes to existing literature by elaborating a new type of organizational resource and then synthesizing and extending research on the processes through which organizations can translate social media efforts into meaningful organizational outcomes. Understanding this causal chain is critical not only for measuring the return on investment from social media use but also for developing accounting information systems that are both adaptable to social resources and better able to exploit the data analytic and forecasting capabilities of real-time social media data.

The role of agricultural development cooperatives in establishing social capital

This paper examines a model of agricultural development specifically centered on the role of cooperatives in augmenting social capital. The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of agricultural cooperatives on social capital formation and improved livelihoods in eight villages in the Aegean Region of Turkey (Bademler, Bagarasi, Borezli, Godence, Karakuzu, Kizikli, Kuyumcu and Tire). We collected data using face-to-face semi-structured surveys. The results from frequency tables and social network analysis (SNA) support the hypothesis that membership in an agricultural development cooperative is a significant factor, which not only affects trust and augments social capital but also improves livelihoods in terms of income perception and eating habits.

Homeownership, Political Participation, and Social Capital in Post‐Communist Countries and Western Europe

SUMMARYWe study whether the positive effects of homeownership on political participation and social capital, found in developed market economies, extend to post‐communist countries. We use the privatization of publicly‐owned housing in post‐communist countries as an exogenous source of variation of homeownership status to identify its impact on political participation and social capital formation. We find that homeownership is strongly related to higher participation in local‐level and national elections. In post‐communist countries, homeownership is also related to higher social trust. However, the positive association between homeownership and volunteering found in developed market economies does not extend to post‐communist countries. Together, our results corroborate that homeownership is associated with positive social benefits. However, these effects are highly heterogeneous and context‐dependent.