Social Capital Formation Research Articles

사회적 자본을 중심으로 찾아본 스마트도시 리빙랩의 성공 요인 분석

In the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, modern society is evolving beyond an information society into a hyperconnected society, with the advancement of technology leading to the development of smart cities. According to Cohen (2015), the direction of smart city evolution is shifting from a technology-driven approach to a citizen co-creation model, and living labs play a crucial role in this transition. The objective of this study is to empirically analyze the success factors of living labs in smart cities using the citizen co-creation approach, focusing on social capital. Social capital is measured by variables such as interest, networks, trust, and norms, while the success factors of living labs are analyzed through variables like communication, democracy (conflict acceptance), and open innovation. The analysis results showed that, among the success factors of living labs, communication was positively influenced by trust, norms, and networks, with trust having the greatest impact. Democracy (conflict acceptance) was positively influenced by norms and interest, while open innovation was positively influenced by norms and interest as well. This study concludes that the formation of social capital is crucial for the success of living labs in smart cities following the citizen co-creation model. In particular, the formation of trust among neighbors, colleagues, national and local governments is vital. Additionally, adherence to laws, regulations, and community agreements, as well as interest in various local events and policies, are essential. Based on these findings, this study suggests that while smart cities may have originated from technology, they must ultimately be pursued based on people-centered participation, interest, and trust for sustainable development.

Daily vulnerability and disaster resilience: a case study of preferred community assets and social capital for Latinx coastal residents

PurposeThis study explores how marginalized populations in high-hazard-risk areas on the Oregon coast utilize valued locations and social networks to adapt to daily challenges and natural hazards.Design/methodology/approachWe hypothesize that locations most valued for their associated resources (community assets) also support the most social capital. Focus group discussions and a novel conceptual mapping activity were employed to identify preferred community assets and associated social capital for Latinx residents.FindingsCommunity-based organizations, churches and schools are the preferred community assets found to enable strong social capital, although differences existed in which forms of structural social capital were identified. Mechanisms by which relationships are formed in this case study and implications for disaster resilience are discussed and theoretically linked to other relevant contexts.Research limitations/implicationsWe provide policy recommendations to utilize community assets and social capital to support disaster resilience for marginalized populations.Originality/valueRecruitment of participants through a community-engaged process developed trust with Latinx community members. Focus group design addressed barriers to participation to create space for diverse perspectives. By applying social capital theory to this data, actionable insights are identified to better incorporate the values and needs of marginalized groups into disaster risk reduction efforts.

Inquisitive exploration of green finance, social finance, and capital formation in shaping economic development: insights from BRICS Countries

The significance of democratic commitment is highlighted on a global scale by the importance placed on offering a multitude of chances to establish enduring ecosystems and foster economic progress. Social finance, capital formation, and green finance have recently received a lot of attention from this perspective. Past studies mainly examined social finance and green finance in isolation. When investigating the individual impact of these important variables on economic growth in the occurrence of important events like the COVID-19 pandemic and other environmental pollution issues, most studies have mainly focused on developed countries, ultimately ignoring the different dynamics in emerging economies. The purpose of the research is to investigate the joint interaction between social finance (Social Impact Bonds), capital formation, and green finance (green loans, green investments, and green security) on economic development in BRICS economies. This research employed a longitudinal dataset from 2013 to 2023. The generalized method of moments (GMM) and fixed effect model (FEM) were employed in this research as statistical techniques for estimating parameters. The findings of this study revealed a positive joint relationship between green finance, capital formation, and social financing on economic development of BRICS economies. Therefore, measures that jointly promote social and green finance amidst environmental challenges or economic risks could present opportunities to mitigate the vulnerability of a country's economic prosperity. This research will surely guide policymakers in developing economies on how to give considerable attention to sustainable aspects while formulating policies and strategies aimed at economic development.

Applying Bourdieu’s Theory to Public Perceptions of Water Scarcity during El Niño: A Case Study of Santa Marta, Colombia

This study investigated the sociological dimensions informing public perceptions of water scarcity during the El Niño drought period in Colombia. We conducted this study in Santa Marta, Colombia, and surveyed 405 urban and rural residents to understand their perceptions of water scarcity, management, and the impacts of the El Niño phenomenon. The survey used a Likert scale to measure responses and employed a multivariate analysis of variance to analyze the data while considering factors such as location (urban versus rural) and gender. The study results indicated that urban residents often experience an irregular water supply all year, whereas most rural respondents noted a more consistent availability of water. The perception of water scarcity also differed notably between urban and rural areas due to their different historical and cultural experiences (habitus). Urban respondents mostly recognized the presence of water, while rural perspectives were less conclusive, likely influenced by their direct access to natural water sources. Participants across various demographics consistently reported that poor management by local, regional, and national governments contributes to the water scarcity crisis, highlighting the importance of improving communication about climate events like El Niño and water management to increase community engagement in public policies. Our research suggests that better understanding the social foundations of such perceptions using Bourdieu’s concepts of social fields, habitus, and capital forms can significantly enhance water management strategies.

Intertwined Critical Realms: Caste, Babas, Deras, and Social Capital Formation in Punjab (India)

Deras are generally perceived as an alternative socio-religious space frequented mostly by lower castes and economically weaker sections of society. They promise to make a significant difference to the lives of such vulnerable sections of society by lending them much needed spiritual, moral, and social support. Within the sprawling premises of Deras, downtrodden find a welcoming ‘counter-public’ enriched with social capital, which offers them an egalitarian domain free from the afflictions of caste discriminations, social exclusion, and subtle indignities often faced by them within the mainstream religious spheres. The growth of Deras thus may be seen as an index of subaltern socio-cultural and syncretic religious realms generating a rich haul of social capital.

Towards a livelihood-interdependence approach to framing adaptation in research and practice: evidence from farmers’ and herders’ relations in Northern Ghana

ABSTRACT Changing farmer–herder relations (FHR) are central to the social dynamics of climate change adaptation in African drylands, involving conflict and cooperation. While substantial literature has built a case for increased conflict of various kinds in West African drylands due to climate change stressors, this literature does not yet fully reflect the growing importance of more cooperative and interdependent elements of FHR. This study addresses this research gap through a case study of Gushiegu and Karaga Districts in Northern Ghana. Our analysis found growing cooperation between farmers and herders driven by livelihood diversification, sociocultural conditions such as increasing intermarriage, religious affiliation and the emergence of hybrid conflict resolution mechanisms that reflect a process of institutional bricolage. This deepening interdependence manifests in multiple ways, including knowledge exchange, management of common property resources and the strengthening of “bridging” forms of social capital. Our findings suggest a need to reframe adaptation in research, policy and practice to emphasize these beneficial forms of interdependence in FHR.

Crafting Individual Resilience Through Social Capital in Times of Conflict: A Qualitative Study on Ukrainian Refugees in Germany

The article examines the role of social capital in fostering individual resilience of refugees in Germany, with a case-study focused on Ukrainian refugees who moved to the middle-sized city of Bielefeld after February 24, 2022. It specifically explores the targeted strategies and reasoning used by the refugees to build bonding, bridging, and linking forms of social capital. The article promotes a more differentiated approach to resilience, spotlighting the variety of social contacts and networks that allow refugees to access resources and support mechanisms in the new context. It also encourages a transition from a deficits-centric to a strengths-based approach in refugees’ studies and utilizes the experience of new Ukrainians in Bielefeld to shed light on the agency of newcomers and the contribution of their personal skills and motivations to promote well-being in times of crises.

Information Support or Emotional Support? Social Support in Online Health Information Seeking among Chinese Older Adults.

Online Health Information Seeking (OHIS) serves as an alternative form of social capital that can help older adults alleviate offline medical-related stress. This study collected and analyzed user interaction data from Patient-to-Doctor and Patient-to-Peer platforms and compared the roles of social support between them. Significant differences were identified in the dimensions of social support (information, emotional, and companion) on the Patient-to-Peer platforms compared with Patient-to-Doctor platforms (p < 0.05). The overall and core-core network density values for social support on Patient-to-Peer platforms were higher than those on Patient-to-Doctor platforms. Patient-to-Doctor interactions focused on information support, displaying a more centralized and efficient network with structural holes pertaining to treatment effects. By contrast, Patient-to-Peer interactions provided more emotional support, with a dispersed and redundant network containing structural holes related to individual information. Companion support was found to be weaker on both platforms. Additionally, digital literacy, surrogate seeking, and altruistic information significantly explained the variances between the two platforms (p < 0.01), with surrogate seeking playing a crucial role. These findings enhance our understanding of OHIS disparities among older adults and their surrogates, offering valuable insights for developing effective support systems and regulatory frameworks for health information platforms.

Integration of Universities and Employers – Potential in Building Social Capital

The article analyzes the main directions of integration of universities and employers, considered in the context of formation of social capital of participants of educational relations. The empirical basis of the work was formed by: 1) data on self-evaluation for 2023 of four leading universities of the Omsk region, differing in the structure of educational programs and industry focus (OmSTU, OmSU, OmGUPS, SibADI); 2) the results of questionnaire survey of the main participants of the educational process: students and employers of these universities; 3) data from the survey of university youth within the framework of the Federal project “Runway 2023” (2,139 students of these universities). The novelty of the study lies in the substantiation of the practices of integration of universities and employers that have developed in the educational environment as ways of reproducing social capital for the key participants of educational relations. These practices contribute to the establishment of trust between the participants of educational relations; form communications that become resources for obtaining benefits for the parties involved in cooperation; help students to master the corporate norms and rules of employers; reduce the level of transaction costs in employment, etc. It has been established that the main forms of integration of universities and their partners are realized mainly to achieve a high level of postgraduate employment of graduates, which in practice are associated with the reproduction of social capital of both open and closed type. Based on the analyzed sources, the following hypotheses were confirmed: firstly, representatives of employers who have experience of cooperation with universities are more likely to prefer to use and develop such formats of integration with educational organizations that are focused on solving the problems of youth employment, i.e. they use the accumulated social capital to build up the human capital of their organizations; secondly, the level of students’ readiness to recommend an educational organization for admission and graduation. The authors show promising directions of research on the subject of the article: 1) the establishment of system-wide and industry barriers that impede the development of bridging social capital for the production of an innovative product; 2) a comprehensive analysis of bridging social capital, which reflects the quality of communication and cooperation in the context of personal responsibility and competencies of officials of both participants in the educational process.

What resources are needed for engaging in community coproduction? Evidence from China

This study uses data from the 2012 Chinese General Social Survey to examines what resources in the form of human, social, and cultural capital are needed for engaging in community coproduction. We find that, in terms of human capital, middle-income individuals are more likely to participate in community coproduction than lower-income and higher-income individuals; also, those with more education are more likely to participate in community coproduction. Regarding social capital, individuals who are more involved in community social networks and have higher levels of trust in their neighbors are more likely to engage in community coproduction. Finally, in terms of cultural capital, individuals with more community-centered values are more likely to participate in community coproduction. Implications for public management theory and practice are discussed.

‘I found everything in them’: Formation of migrant networks and social capital

AbstractThis paper explores the issue of creation of migrant networks in different contexts along the Eastern Mediterranean route and the Balkans. Drawing on 27 qualitative interviews and ethnographic fieldwork, it uncovers the information about migration journeys and the ways how social capital is transferred among migrants. The paper sheds light on the role of social networks, their influence on strategies, behaviour patterns and resource allocation during migration. The findings underscore different benefits of using migrant networks, highlighting their role in providing crucial support as well as increasing safety and supporting migrants' well‐being. Moreover, the shared identity forged through these networks enhances migrants' resilience, empowering migrants to navigate challenges more effectively. These empirical findings challenge the narratives of migration being individualistic and contribute to the literature on creation, dynamics, and benefits of networks of irregular transit migration, highlighting the differences from other migrant networks.

Sabilulungan: Form of Social Capital in Mapag Menak in Community Empowerment in Padepokan Art of Culture of Saung Langit Village Nagrak Regency Bandung

Social capital as a whole of actual and potential resources related to ownership is based on mutual knowledge and recognition. In Nangrak Village, it is manifested by a thick tradition with the value of Sabilulungan. This study aims to determine the value of sabilulungan as a form of social capital in Mapag Menak in community empowerment at the Saung Langit cultural arts hermitage, Nagrak village, Bandung regency. This research uses a descriptive method with a qualitative approach. As for the data collection technique, namely the documentation method, which is sourced from books, journals, and other literature, then conclusions are drawn. The results show that the people of Nagrak Village show this social capital through social relations/interactions during Mapag Menak. Social solidarity is demonstrated by the presence and participation of all citizens in preparing for the completion of the tradition, as for the trust of the people who accompany the series of traditional processions that are carried out. The tradition in the Nagrak Village community is Mapag Menak which all community members must carry out. Then, the norms and values in the Nagrak Village community are proven by the agreement on rules that need to be obeyed when conducting Mapag Menak.

Islamic faith-based organisations and their role in building social capital for post-disaster recovery in Indonesia.

This paper investigates the role of Islamic faith-based organisations (FBOs) in Indonesia and examines the way in which their disaster recovery aid can be successful or less successful depending on social capital formation in communities affected by a disaster. The paper argues that Islamic FBOs play a prominent role in disaster-affected communities by building new social capital or strengthening existing social capital. Failure to do so may affect a community's recovery and its long-term resilience. Applying a framework that considers three types of social capital-bonding, bridging, and linking-from a comparative perspective, the paper discusses two cases of disaster recovery: one following the earthquake that struck Aceh in 2013; and the other after the Mount Kelud volcanic eruptions in East Java in 2014. In both instances, the findings highlight the importance of the village facilitator, cultural sensitivity, and understanding of local indigenous and religious practices for successful disaster recovery.

The Importance of Ecovillage Communities in Romania

Abstract This paper aims to analyze and propagate the concept of eco-village as much as possible within the majority of Romanian communities. A sustainable ecovillage or village is a traditional or intentional community created to become socially, culturally, economically and ecologically sustainable. The ecovillage community hosts an alternative way of organizing people’s lives, so as to create sustainable relationships between people and the environment, without altering it. This study incorporates a model of successful eco-village, corroborated with the necessary factors and strategies that determine the formation of social and civic capital. There are numerous claims from researchers and community members, in the academic and grey literature, that intentional communities are making significant improvements towards sustainability goals, particularly in terms of environmental impact. However, actual measures of progress, with evidence supporting these claims, are relatively scarce

Impact of Microfinance Initiatives on Poverty Alleviation in Bangladesh

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of microfinance initiatives on poverty alleviation in Bangladesh. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Microfinance in Bangladesh has boosted incomes, improved housing and food security, and empowered women economically, fostering entrepreneurship and decision-making. It has also enhanced social cohesion and community development through economic participation. Despite challenges, microfinance remains crucial for poverty reduction in Bangladesh. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Social capital theory, agency theory &amp; capability approach may be used to anchor future studies on analyze the impact of microfinance initiatives on poverty alleviation in Bangladesh. Foster community engagement and social cohesion within microfinance groups through participatory decision-making processes, group activities, and capacity-building initiatives. Incorporate social capital building objectives into microfinance program design and evaluation criteria, incentivizing MFIs to prioritize community empowerment and social capital formation.

Digital town square? Nextdoor's offline contexts and online discourse

There is scant quantitative research describing Nextdoor, the world's largest and most important hyperlocal social media network. Due to its localized structure, Nextdoor data are notoriously difficult to collect and work with. We build multiple datasets that allow us to generate descriptive analyses of the platform's offline contexts and online content. We first create a comprehensive dataset of all Nextdoor neighborhoods joined with U.S. Census data, which we analyze at the community-level (block-group). Our findings suggests that Nextdoor is primarily used in communities where the populations are whiter, more educated, more likely to own a home, and with higher levels of average income, potentially impacting the platform's ability to create new opportunities for social capital formation and citizen engagement. At the same time, Nextdoor neighborhoods are more likely to have active government agency accounts---and law enforcement agencies in particular---where offline communities are more urban, have larger nonwhite populations, greater income inequality, and higher average home values. We then build a convenience sample of 30 Nextdoor neighborhoods, for which we collect daily posts and comments appearing in the feed (115,716 posts and 163,903 comments), as well as associated metadata. Among the accounts for which we collected posts and comments, posts seeking or offering services were the most frequent, while those reporting potentially suspicious people or activities received the highest average number of comments. Taken together, our study describes the ecosystem of and discussion on Nextdoor, as well as introduces data for quantitatively studying the platform.

Kesejahteraan Pekerja, Analisis dari Status Pekerjaan dan Modal Sosial melalui Pasar Kerja

The research aims to examine the influence of informal work and social capital on welfare mediated by the labor market. The cluster random sampling method was used to determine the sample, and 750 respondents were obtained. Research data was processed using SPSS and SmartPLS. The results show that informal workers and social capital have a simultaneous effect on well-being, while informal work is not proven to have an effect. Social capital is proven to have a positive effect on the labor market, and the labor market has a positive effect on welfare. The results of the indirect effect prove that informal work has a negative effect on well-being, while social capital has a positive effect on well-being.

Multilingual Habitus and Language Prestige: Value Profiles of Croatian, English, German, and Italian in Croatia

In a multilingual world, languages represent various forms of capital in society and gain or lose prestige depending on how transferable they are perceived to be into social, cultural, economic, and symbolic capital. The dominance of the English language and social media content in the Information Age affects people’s language worldwide. In many countries, there is a significant trend toward diglossia, where the national language is used alongside English, leading to the marginalization of all other languages. In Croatia, an EU member state, the most popular foreign languages are English, German, and Italian. However, due to the linguistic dominance of English, foreign languages other than English have experienced a loss of status. This shift implies that people’s perceptions of the types of capital those languages represent are changing and that there is a movement from multilingualism toward diglossia. This goes against the strongly promoted idea of multilingualism in the EU, where language variety is considered a valuable form of symbolic and cultural capital. Within that framework, this study aims to examine the attitudes of multilingual speakers in Croatia toward the four languages included in the study. The goal is to determine whether they perceive a language to represent a form of social, cultural, economic, or symbolic capital. Furthermore, based on the results, it will be concluded whether multilingual language practice is affected and whether there is a clash between the desired multilingual habitus of European citizens and their perceptions of language values, which determine their language choices.

Troops are Business Schools: Military Service and Entrepreneurial Behaviors in China

Although research has examined the benefits of military service and the impact of military executives on business operations, the relationship between military service and entrepreneurial behavior remains poorly understood. Using the instrumental variable approach and a nationally representative male sample from the China Labor-forces Dynamic Survey, we discovered that military service significantly increased the probability of entrepreneurship in China, even after a series of robustness checks. Mechanism tests indicated that this positive effect could be explained by human and political capital accumulation, military-related social capital formation, and risk appetite traits. Our supplemental analyses demonstrated that exogenous shocks from the special military-in-business policy strengthened the positive entrepreneurial effect, whereas the higher education expansion policy and China’s accession to the World Trade Organization weakened this effect. Additionally, military entrepreneurs had better business performance and more resilient, persistent, and confident traits. We found no evidence that Chinese veterans were forced to become entrepreneurs. This study enriches research on the styles and traits of military entrepreneurs and managers and provides important insights for assessing and improving veteran welfare policies in China and other developing countries.

Association between social capital and utilization of essential public health services among elderly migrants: a multilevel logistic study based on the 2017 China migrant dynamic survey (CMDS)

BackgroundAs the number of elderly migrants in China continues to grow, it is necessary to pay closer attention to their health and health services. Some studies have confirmed that social capital plays a significant role in the utilization of health services. Therefore, an in-depth exploration of the relationship between social capital and the utilization of essential public health services (EPHS) by elderly migrants will not only contribute to improving their overall health but also facilitate a more balanced development of public health service system in China.MethodsBased on the cross-sectional data from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamic Survey (CMDS), this study examined the impact of social capital on the utilization of EPHS among elderly migrants. We evaluated social capital at two distinct levels: the individual and the community, and considered two dimensions of social capital: structural social capital (SSC) and cognitive social capital (CSC). The study aimed to delve into the impact of these forms of social capital on the utilization of EPHS among elderly migrants, and whether the migration range moderates this impact by multilevel logistic regression analysis.ResultsA total of 5,728 migrant elderly individuals were selected. The health records establishment rate and health education acceptance rate were approximately 33.0% and 58.6%, respectively. Social capital influenceed the utilization of EPHS among elderly migrants. Specifically, individual-level SSC and CSC have impacts on both the establishment of health records (OR = 1.598, 95%CI 1.366–1.869; OR = 1.705, 95%CI 1.433–2.028) and the acceptance of health education (OR = 1.345, 95%CI 1.154–1.567; OR = 2.297, 95%CI 1.906–2.768) among elderly migrants, while community-level SSC only affected the acceptance of health education (OR = 3.838, 95%CI 1.328–11.097). There were significant differences in individual-level SSC, health records, and health education among different migration range subgroups among elderly migrants. Migration range moderated the effect of social capital on the utilization of EPHS, crossing provinces could weaken the relationship between SSC and health education.ConclusionsSocial capital is associated with a higher utilization rate of EPHS among elderly migrants. It is necessary to encourage them to actively participate in social activities, strengthen public services and infrastructure construction in the area, and improve their sense of belonging and identity.