Social capital and community: Findings and conclusions of neighbourhoodbased studies

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Social capital and communityFindings and
conclusions of neighbourhood-based studies

• Limerick Citizen Advocacy Project
• Eileen.Humphreys_at_ul.ie

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Structure

• Social capital definitions focus of the
  research
• Contextual issues
• Measurement of social capital
• Selected findings attitudes networks
• Conclusions
• Implications

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Research on social capital

• Study (2003 2004 fieldwork) .
• Test / develop means of measurement
• Types and variations in social capital
• Civic perspective small areas / neighbourhoods
• The stocks of social trust, norms and networks
  which people can draw on to solve common
  problems (Putnam, 1995)

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Policy context interest

• Social capital in public policy
• Direct (NGOs volunteering) ..
• Indirect (conditions)
• Socio-economic / structural factors
• Planning . neighbourhoods
• Institutional arrangements (decentralised
  structures )
• Institutional .. community development .
  partnerships
• Local governance Cohesion structures county
  level

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Source European Foundation for Improvement of
Living Working Conditions, 2003
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Source CSO, Census of population
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Social capital

• Values
• Trust reciprocity
• Networks
• strong and weak ties
• Outcomes / functions
• social support
• civic

• Bonding
• close, homogeneous
• getting by
• Bridging
• horizontal, heterogeneous
• getting ahead
• Linking
• vertical ties
• change

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Study neighbourhoods 2002 (CSO)
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Conclusions

• Bridging linking SC particularly weak
• Policy-induced structures may help but
• Well-connected get better connected ..
• Grass-roots remain unconnected .. Not embedded
  ..
• Attitudes of trust ..
• Some very distant disadvantaged areas
• More affluent areas .. Lack structures

• More of the same wont work
• Focus on conditions
• Facilities / services in communities
• Quality .. Residents want to stay
• Political opportunity structure (decentralised)
• Where to target efforts
• Where there is potential
• Where it is likely to be more difficult

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Implications

• Evidence of institutional void in local
  governance
• Dependency on small elite group overused and ..
• Tinkering v. addressing issue .. weak
  democratic local structures
• Delivering into local communities (LA / local
  agency competence)
• Planning function
• Housing
• Long term strategy

• How to achieve a wider range of participation?
• Changing structures embed in wider social
  networks
• What incentives for participation ..
• What changes for local communities and when?
• What issues?
• Structures culture of participation
• Information expertise