Social Capital Formation Research Articles

Social Capital as a Factor of Social Participation: The Case of the Vologda Region

The most important resource for the development of a territory that provides dynamism and ensures adaptation to changes is a society’s energy for activity. The activity resource of a city, region or settlement, in our opinion, can be measured by the development of practices of social participation among its population. The main types of social participation are involvement in formal public organizations, informal participation, which consists of collective practices of participation without membership in organizations, and practicing helpful behavior, which may be purely personal in nature. The level of social participation is influenced by external and internal factors. External are a region’s socio-economic characteristics, activity of organizations and authorities aimed at stimulating and involving the population in the practice of participation. Internal factors include motivation to participate, attitudes and values that influence the population. The basic hypothesis of the study is that the fundamental motive for social participation is the creation of a network of social ties, the expansion of contacts, which contributes to the accrual of social capital. At the same time, different forms of social participation have different potential for accrual of social capital. Paradoxically, it is most actively formed within the framework of informal participation practices. To prove this trend, the categories of social capital and social resources that are well-known and widely used in theoretical and practical research activities are used. The empirical basis of the study was a representative survey of the population of Vologda Oblast. It was revealed that the most important reasons for involvement in the activities of public organizations and involvement in informal participation, according to most active segments of the population, include “communication with interesting people”, “useful connections”, “making new friends”. Social participation acts as a mechanism for the formation of personal social capital. A side effect of this is the formation of group social capital and the social capital of the territorial community as a whole. This happens due to the expansion of networks and an increase in solidarity, responsibility and willingness to unite, which, in turn, stimulates participation, which becomes an important social effect for the development of the territory. The practical significance of the study is to identify the core of motivation of active segments of the population, which is a guideline for building a policy of involving more inert groups of the population in the practice of social participation.

Alternative Food Networks, Social Capital, and Public Policy in Mexico City

Social initiatives that seek to promote socially fairer and environmentally more sustainable food production and distribution schemes have multiplied in the last two decades. Several studies have analysed their impacts and showed high contextual variability, making visible some of their contradictions. This research is interested in Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) as spaces of political mobilisation that aim to modify the predominant food systems. The analysis focuses on the role played by social capital in the capacities and strategies of AFNs to influence the design of public policies. The research was carried out in Mexico City as part of a wither participatory action research project. It is based on participant observation and discussion groups with representatives of citizen collectives involved in agroecological food distribution. The results show that the forms of social and cultural capital are key factors in understanding the interest and capacities of AFNs to strengthen collective action. The study also identifies the importance of the initiatives’ managers as facilitators of interactions between AFNs and other entities, such as universities and civil society organisations, which can ease the influence of social initiatives in the design of public programmes.

A Green Economy Approach to Solid Waste Management in Minna, Nigeria

This study is based on solid waste recycling activities in Minna, Nigeria. The objectives of the study are to take inventory of recycling outlets, to examine the recycling inputs and the products produced by the recyclers, to assess the operating environment of the recycling cluster and to investigate the livelihood opportunities that recycling generates. The result shows that the recycling cluster occupies an area of 0.64 hectares that accommodates 141 recycling outlets with about 40% of the outlets occupying below the standard shop size of 7.2m2. The recycling outlets use 18 types of recovered materials to reproduce 27 varieties of products. Each recycling outlet engages about 3.4 persons and offers training to an average of 6 persons each. In general, the sector contributes to creation of employment, income generation, skill development, asset building and social capital formation.

English proficiency as a performance of digital social capital: understanding how Chinese study abroad students use WeChat for the symbolic purpose of English language learning

This study investigates how Chinese study abroad students utilize WeChat for the symbolic purpose of English language learning while exploring what particular features of WeChat are beneficial to one’s English learning. It also explores how English proficiency acts as a form of digital social capital in China, with a particular focus on how WeChat acts as a stage from which users can perform their perceived higher-social class. By deploying a symbolic interactionist approach and conceptualizing an appropriate theoretical framework, this study aims to determine whether students fully engage with WeChat’s symbolic meaning as an English learning tool. Qualitative methods of research consisting of semi-structured interviews and a walkthrough of WeChat are carried out which investigates how English learning features are accessed on WeChat and how they ultimately shape learners’ symbolic meanings of WeChat. It is found that performing high English proficiency on WeChat is associated with negative connotations (bragging) due to links between English level and class background. Moreover, factors such as filial piety prevented users from performing their English proficiency and fully engaging with WeChat as a learning tool also.

Can nutrition-sensitive intervention and programmes reduce household's food insecurity among the communities affected by Boko-Haram insurgency in Nigeria?

Dwindling food security situations that arose from Boko-haram insurgence experienced in the northeast of Nigeria has led to an urgent need to respond to the food and livelihood requirements of families who were affected by the conflicts in this region. This is necessary in order to enhance their food and nutritional security and livelihood activities. Thus, examining the status of malnutrition of households in the intervening communities is imperative. Therefore, primary data were collected from some selected households within the region using multi-stage sampling procedure. Descriptive statistics, Dietary Diversity Score (DSS), Heckman and Tobit Models were the analytical tools employed. The study revealed that food aid constitutes an integral proportion of the total expenditure of households on food in the intervening communities. Level of malnutrition also reduces from 40.58 to 16.7% due to the impact of the sensitization programme on households' consumption of nutritious foods. However, there is still a high level of malnutrition (68.79%) among the children that are 5years and below. Social capital formation and group-specific nutritional policy strategies directed at the internally displaced persons (IDPs) and children that are 5years and below are panacea to reducing malnutrition in the region.

The queens’ dressmakers: women’s work and the clothing trades in late seventeenth-century London

ABSTRACT Increased patterns of consumption during the late seventeenth century afforded new opportunities in the fashion trades for women, establishing mantua-making as an enduring form of female employment. The rise of these women has not been well documented in England or outside of the guilds, organisations that traditionally sought to marginalise the place of women in the craft trades. This article utilises verb and noun methodologies, alongside qualitative and quantitative analyses, to examine the household accounts of Queens Catherine of Braganza and Mary II dating from 1684–94. These accounts demonstrate that women’s skilled work in an essential sector of pre-industrial labour was often characterised by ambiguity. Occupational titles, when given, often undersold the labour performed by women at this crucial time in a fast-evolving marketplace, where they competed with male tailors for patronage and favour. Early English dressmakers relied on their knowledge and training in both seamstressing and tailoring, their associations with new, fashionable and highly desirable French couturières and forms of female social capital for success. Significantly, the evidence found in their bills offers new ways of reconstructing women’s work tasks, skills and recompense, challenging previously held assumptions about women’s expertise during the early modern period.

MODAL SOSIAL DAN KEBERLANJUTAN PEMANFAATAN LAHAN HUTAN UNTUK PENGELOLAAN DUSUNG

The use of forest land by the community in the form of dusung is based on the prevailing social system. the social system of the community is influenced by the rules, norms and values that have been internalized in the life of indigenous peoples. The rules of customary norms and values have regulated community interactions that support the strength of social capital. This study aims to determine the role of social capital and the sustainability of dusung management in Maluku. The approach used is a participatory follow-up study (PAR). The results of the study show that various facts and concepts about social and cognitive structures are important factors in revealing the forms of social capital that exist in the community to realize dusung management at the individual, group and village level as a whole. Social capital has played a role in helping the development of community capacity in the sustainability of dusung management, because of the level of security and certainty of a more secure social action

Закономірності формування со-ціального капіталу в Україні: теоретичні засади і міжнародний контекст

In the paper, the regularities of the formation of social capital as a component of the problem of capitalization of social interaction have been studied. The methodological approach of the research includes two aspects: theoretical, the purpose of which is to substantiate the theoretical structure of the regularities of the formation of social capital; analytical, according to which the manifestation of the revealed regularities in Ukraine and other countries has been assessed. Four main regularities have been considered (empathy, risk reflectivity, migration impact, norm correspondence), which determine the functioning of the essential elements of social capital, as well as the features of transformation and conversion of its forms. The selection of proper economic indicators that reflect trends in the manifestation of social capital formation has been performed. The results of analytical assessment of the actualization of the specified regularities in Ukraine compared to other countries have been presented. The research revealed that empathy, as a relationship between rationality and sociality of human interaction, constitutes a solid foundation for the development of social capital and has the most vivid and positive manifestations in Ukrainian society when economic agents readily and carefully respond to the needs of their counterparts in social relations. The paper demonstrates the features of the differentiation of forms of social capital according to the direction of internal connections within social networks and the homogeneity (density) of social networks. The determinism of the variability of the forms of social capital is substantiated by the different perceptions of risks by the agents of social interaction. The low tolerance of Ukrainian economic agents to risk has been registered. This determines their preferences regarding participation in vertical and closed social networks. The relationship between migration (mobility) and social trust is revealed. It is argued that the relationship manifests itself in the generally ambiguous impact of immigration to Ukraine and emigration from Ukraine on the functioning of trust networks. This testifies to the possibilities and reserves of managing such an impact to increase social capital in the country. The objective relationship between trust in social norms (the degree of their social recognition and acceptance) and the productivity of social capital is specified. It has been observed that in Ukraine, a critically low level of trust in social norms and norm-setting institutions contributes to the development of corruption and destructive social networks.

Investigating recovery from problem substance use using digital photovoice.

This study investigates the complex process of recovery from problem substance use using a visual research method known as 'Photovoice'. Seven service users from a harm reduction drug service were given digital cameras and asked to photograph 'people, places, and things' meaningful to them in their recovery. These photographs were then used as a catalyst for discussion during two in-depth interviews. This study demonstrates the nuanced experiences of recovery as some participants expressed feeling isolated while others reflected upon their access to various forms of social capital. These findings recognise the link between social capital and recovery outcomes, while also reflecting upon how services might imbed the need for relationship quality within artificial recovery networks. The use of photographs is a novel way of providing voice to the lived experience of service users and adds to the discussion and debate concerning how recovery services may develop.

Strategies For Strengthening Social Capital In Rubber Farming Communities In Facing Disaster In Lake Village, Nalo Tantan District

In general, the purpose of this study is to analyze the strategy of strengthening social capital in farming communities in dealing with disasters in Lake Village. In particular, the purpose of this study is to analyze the forms of social capital of rubber farmers and strategies for strengthening social capital of rubber farmers in dealing with landslides in Danau Village. This study uses a qualitative approach with a descriptive type. The informants of this research are people who experience disasters in Danau Village. The unit of analysis is at the community level or including the meso level. The data collection method was carried out in several stages, namely non-participant observation, in-depth interviews and document studies. Data analysis uses Miles & Huberman model thinking. The results of this study indicate that the form of social capital that is built in disaster areas is to strengthen norms in society, cooperate with each other, conduct mutual social interactions, build government-level networks and have a caring attitude among disaster victims. The strategy for strengthening social capital is built on the value of togetherness and mutual trust based on disaster-safe areas as a source of economic strengthening for rubber farmers. Novelty in this study is social capital to build disaster-safe areas.

PROBLEMS OF SOCIAL CAPITAL FORMATION IN UNIVESITY ENVIRONMENT

The article examines the problems of social capital formation in the academic environment of a higher education institution, namely the role of trust, approaches to measurement of social capital and the connection of human potential with social capital. Analysis of scientific works of classics by F. Fukuyama, M. Woolcock, J. Coleman, R.Patman allowed to determine that social capital characterizes relationships between people, when each person decides in what way build your environment, how to exchange different resources with partners. Social capital includes those aspects of the social structure that ease human action within a group and the solution of social problems of society, which is directly related to the resources of social capital. Trust is studied as an important element of social capital, the formation of which is greatly influenced by norms and rules or systems of ideas about correct and incorrect behavior and results determined by trust have an integrative effect of self-organization. Trust turns not only into a key factor in the success of individual personalities, but is a key to the transformation of knowledge into a source of social wellbeing. It was determined that trust can be considered an integral indicator of social capital because it reflects a set of informal norms in action and is an important basis for the formation of social capital, because thanks to trust, strong social ties are created, which are a kind of support for each individual in the social network of the university environment. The essence of proximal and distal indicators of measuring social capital is revealed. The role of human potential in the formation of the social capital of the student community has been clarified, the typology of potential and the correspondence of each type of potential to a separate type of social capital have been made.

The Creation of Classism in Medical Education: "Time" as a Form of Social Capital in First-Generation Low-Income Students.

Purpose: Previous research has noted that first-generation, low-income (FGLI) medical students experience “everyday forms of classism” because their social backgrounds are different from the typical medical student. 1,2 The reason for this difference is often described as FGLI students not having the right social capital 3 in the elite profession of medicine. 4 This study argues that not just any social capital creates classism in medical education, but specifically time as a form of social capital creates this system. Method: Using Sallee’s ideal worker theory 3 as a theoretical framework, this critical study explored the professional identity experiences of FGLI medical students. The ideal worker theory asserts that institutional structures, and the assumptions that lie beneath them, advantage some groups over others because those who are able to meet these expectations are better prepared to become an “ideal worker.” Data collection and analysis relied on a constructivist grounded theory approach, in which interviews were collected from 19 FGLI students from across the United States. Interview data were coded by a team of researchers for moments when students talked about how their status as FGLI students relates to time. Time was used as the unit of analysis because participants frequently referenced time when specifically discussing their struggles to meet the profession’s expectations. After the initial analysis focusing on where and how time was used, data were then categorized by how having time/not having time impacts them as physicians in training. Results: The results show that FGLI students expressed time as social capital in 3 ways. First, they indicated that because their parents had not completed higher education, they needed more time to figure things out in medical school. For example, participants discussed spending copious amounts of time trying to understand how to apply to medical school, learning how to create social networks, as well as having to explain medicine and their experiences as a medical trainee to their family members. Second, participants also described needing extra time because they had outside community commitments. Many were obligated to assist others in their family or neighborhood with their education. For example, many provided ongoing support to friends and family interested in a career in health care. They also had cultural expectations in their family and home life, which compromised their study time, and also needed to care for younger and older family members. Third, participants described that because they lacked economic resources, they were not able to take time for wellness and relaxation, such as vacations. They also described having to work to support their journey to and through medical school, which impinged on study time. Finally, because they relied on public transportation, essential activities of daily living such as laundry and grocery shopping took twice as long. Discussion: This study shows that in trying to meet the profession’s expectations as an ideal worker, FGLI students needed extra time, a form of social capital that is afforded to non-FGLI students by virtue of their relatively privileged familial background, but denied to those students whose parents either lack higher education or economic resources. As such, the time needed for FGLI students to meet medical education’s expectations is one of the mechanisms that helps to create, maintain, and reify medical education as a classist system. Significance: Although medical education has been previously labeled as a classist system, 1 how this system is created and reproduced has not been explored. This study demonstrates how time is the mechanism for keeping this system in place.

Does corruption in sport corrode social capital? An experimental study in the United Kingdom

ABSTRACT Research question: UK government policy stresses the positive role that sport has on social outcomes and in the formation of social capital. However, while recognising the presence of corruption in sport, policy documentation barely considers the impact that corruption might have on social capital. This raises the following question, if sport can help build social capital, then does corruption in sport corrode it? Research methods: To answer this question, we drew on an experimental study design and the perceptions of 678 UK residents. Results and findings: The results indicate that being confronted with a sport corruption case corrodes people’s trust in sport organisations, as well as their trust in their neighbourhood, though not other elements of social capital, such as personal relationships and civic engagement. However, the more people engage with sport, the less their trust is affected. Implications: The corrosion of trust indicates that corruption in sport can damage social capital. However, given that this erosion is ameliorated through a greater engagement with sport, sports organisations should engage in early robust challenges to any lack of integrity to prevent it from becoming embedded.

Modal Sosial Masyarakat Pesisir (Studi Kesejahteraan Sosial Petani Rumput Laut di Kabupaten Jeneponto)

Social capital is a set of values or informal norms that are shared among members of an interrelated community group, which are based on the values of trust, norms, and social networks. The purpose of this study is to analyze more deeply the existence of social capital and how the perspective of the Pao Village Community, Jeneponto Regency related to capital. This study is a phenomenological study of 10 informants using the data collection method according to the interview method and qualitatively analyzed in a descriptive way. The results of the study indicate that the existence of the share capital in Pao, Jeneponto Regency is indicated by the implementation still under development.Unity, mutual assistance, and concern of the villagers for one another show the form of trust, social norms and social networks that are still intertwined in the Pao village community. The forms of social capital in society are trust, social networks, social norms and reciprocal relationships (cooperation). The social capital of the Pao Village Community, Jeneponto Regency regarding social capital has various responses. Social capital according to the social view is a description of social institutions, such as social networks, norms, and social beliefs, which facilitate mutually beneficial coordination and cooperation. How to behave and treat others. In addition, someone who always maintains trust will also be maintained, treated and appreciated by others because he is good at taking care of himself.

Do online social interactions cultivate social capital? Evidence from a longitudinal study.

It is widely documented that social capital can benefit individual and social development. However, research on the roles of internet technologies in cultivating social capital has not arrived at a consensus. This article aims to understand the effects of online social interactions (OSIs) on generalized trust and prosocial civic engagement, two essential forms of social capital, with a longitudinal study and structural equation model. Fixed-effect model estimations consistently show that OSIs can effectively increase levels of generalized trust in China. Also, trust in parents is used as an alternative dependent variable to provide a comparative analysis. The mechanisms of these two sources of trust are different, and insignificant effects of OSIs on trust in parents are found to implicitly support the causal link between OSIs and trust in strangers. In this study, we implemented a series of robustness checks, for example, examinations using only the netizens as a sample and cross-sectional methods. Furthermore, we explored the relationship between OSIs and prosocial civic engagement (charitable donation), a behavior form of social capital. The SEM results suggested that charitable behaviors were positively affected by OSIs and generalized trust played a positive mediating role. Additionally, significant positive direct and indirect effects through the generalized trust in OSIs were found on prosocial behaviors.

Diffusion of participatory budgets in Poland: do neighbours matter?

Objective of the study: The subject of the study are participatory budgets – social innovations used by local municipalities to involve citizens in local budgetary decisions with roots in Brazil. The main objective was to determine how being part of a social network affects the decision to introduce participatory budgets made by municipalities in Poland, where a remarkable spread of the innovation has been observed since the early 2010s.Methodology: Spatial autocorrelation tests and visualizations were used to uncover clusters of communes with most similar or dissimilar characteristics.Originality/Relevance: Novelty of the study approach lies in the utilization of an own database ­­– with the intention to overcome the problem of data insufficiency, typical of related research.Main results: The presence of spatial proximity-based peer effects was confirmed in the study. The concentration of innovators has remained spatially uneven, which is to be linked to e.g. the cross-regionally diverse forms of social capital. The data-based study design allows to explore participatory budgets as products of social networks and not only individual strategies, as evidenced by numerous case studies in the field.Methodological contributions: The study demonstrates the relevance of collecting longitudinal data for the development of research on participatory budgets.Social/management contributions: Insights from the study are of practical value for recent and future. adopters, wishing to understand the broader relevance of their policies, as well as for higher level policy-makers trying to better adapt their legal frameworks to the current and future waves of innovators.

Creating the Conditions for Intergenerational Justice: Social Capital and Compliance

Creating the Conditions for Intergenerational Justice: Social Capital and Compliance

Social Capital of Students in the Digital Educational Environment: Offline and Online Learning

The transition to mass digital education has aroused the interest of domestic and foreign researchers to discuss issues of the new educational reality and its impact on various aspects of higher education. This article joins this discussion. In particular, it examines the question of what happens to the social capital of students in the context of mass distance (online) learning. Following J. Coleman, the work analyzes the forms of social capital: trusting relationships and mutual obligations (mutual assistance), as well as group norms. In the latter case, we consider the self-determination of students as «students» or «non-students» as an indirect indicator. According to the study, online learning differs from offline learning regarding these forms of social capital. With online learning, level of student trust in fellow students and teachers decreases; they have fewer social contacts among them, to whom they can turn for help in matters of study and non-study. Students who self-identify as «non-students», as opposed to those who identify as «students», are less willing to build trusting relationships and networks of mutual assistance (mutual obligations) with fellow students and teachers. «Non-students» are more likely to study remotely, and they prefer online communication with teachers more. The general conclusion is that social capital decreases during online learning, which raises the question of the effectiveness of socialization of young people within this learning format.

Роль человека в формировании социального капитала сетей

When the theory of social capital develops in conjunction with the network approach, it expands ways of understanding the nature of social ties and the principles of social organization. At the same time, it gives rise to many related theoretical and methodological questions. One of them is the role of a person in the formation of social capital. Since social capital is generated within the structure of the relations of subjects and cannot personally belong to any of them, the fundamentals of the theory are the primacy of the group over the individual. Meanwhile, the characteristics of people involved in network relations play a specific role. As favorable conditions for social capital, the article examines a person’s deliberate choice of network behavior, expectations from network contacts, and the measured pace of network life. Conscious use of strategies aimed at joining social capital involves the selection of ways of networking. The criterion is the replenishment of common resources through cooperation, exchanges, investments in collective assets. Motivated participants in social communication establish mutually beneficial relationships, work with information, and look for opportunities for self-realization in social situations. Personal characteristics can improve the network position, affecting access to resource channels. By determining their usefulness, people focus on common needs, understanding of social contexts, and the increment of the collective good. Certain expectations from relationships give rise to connections that are filled with appropriate resources. Depending on expectations, ideas about the significance of other people are formed, the circle of contacts is determined, a person is looking for his place in the social network. To get what you expect, you need to remain visible and recognizable. In this way, looking at other people triggers the alignment of network communications, coordinating the flows of social capital. In addition, since it takes time for people to evaluate potential contacts and establish trust, the pace of network processes should maintain network stability, in other words, be moderate.

Techno-capital, cultural capital, and the cultivation of academic social capital: The case of adult online college students

The current study examines the role of cultural capital and techno-capital in the academic social capital formation process, focusing on adult online college students (N = 725) enrolled at a private not-for-profit university in the US. Multiple regression results indicated that cultural capital predicted behavioral integration, an important means through which academic social capital is cultivated; yet, techno-competency, a subscale of techno-capital, predicted the ways in which students perceived their own integration. The findings lend support to the notion that students with higher levels of cultural capital enact academic engagement because they have a better understanding of the “rules of the game,” but techno-capital enables individuals to mobilize a particular set of skills and their socialized understanding of the online context to extract value and realize the benefits from academic engagement.