email
print
Social capital
From CopperWiki
Social capital facilitates mutually beneficial collective action. It indicates the degree to which a community or society collaborates and cooperates (through such mechanisms as networks, shared trust, norms and values) to achieve mutual benefits. The benefits of social capital flow from the trust, reciprocity, information, and cooperation associated with social networks.
Contents |
[edit] Why should I be aware of this?
Writers, journalists and pundits have for decades been predicting that technology will isolate us from other human beings, making us communicate electronically, with machines tending our every need. Though this possibility is almost within reach, we humans, by way of our genetically social nature, do not isolate ourselves from the rest of society.
Research has shown that higher levels of social capital have associations with better health, higher educational achievement, better employment outcomes, and lower crime rates. In other words, those with extensive networks are more likely to be healthy and happy. All of these areas are of concern to both policy-makers and community members alike.
[edit] All about social capital
The concept of social capital has been traced as far back as 1916, to an article by L.F. Hanifan, a West Virginia school reformer. The concept does not reappear, per se, until Jane Jacobs’ work on urban planning in the 1960s.
The term social capital signifies cultivation of goodwill, fellowship, sympathy and social intercourse among those that make up a social unit. Social capital, like human capital or financial capital, is also productive: It enables us to create value, get things done, achieve our goals, fulfill our missions in life, and make our contributions to the world. It is not possible to be successful— or even survive—without it.
Globally it has been found that certain forms of social relations are central to creating sustainable communities. Relations based on high degrees of mutual trust and reciprocity are believed to sustain better outcomes in the economy, democracy and civil society.
[edit] Bonds of social capital
The bonds of social capital make neighborhoods safer, schools better, and people healthier. When individuals are invested in each other and their communities, in spite of having differences of opinion, they are more likely to vote, volunteer, care for one another, and cooperate. Social capital has both individual and collective elements that affect our lives and the wellbeing of our businesses and towns.
When there is a strong social capital people can be mobilized with ease to tackle problems. It is easier to take advantage of opportunities that benefit everyone.
[edit] What can I do?
- A person can be better engaged in community affairs — political and religious activities, volunteering, and social interaction if he is not spending additional time commuting by car for this purpose. Strive for things that free us from our cars.
- Achieve what the planners call “Smart Growth.” Create a community and place through compact, walkable, bicycle-friendly land use, including neighborhood schools, and streets that can be used by everyone.
- Many important issues, from transportation planning to residential and commercial development, touch people in more ways than one. Strong social capital the points of view of everyone is heard and reflected in decisions.
[edit] 90 degrees
We can learn a lot from kids as they are natural connectors. As we teach them we are the fun of reaching out to others.
[edit] Unlearn
The Internet, technology which is blamed for isolating people because it does not require people to be physically adjacent in order to communicate is actually bringing them together in novel ways, and creating unprecedented, and previously unimaginable communities. Political action groups and common interest message boards are only a couple of the ways that technology extends novel bridges between individuals around the world, and builds the very social capital that has been eroding for the past few decades.
