My Social Capital and What Affects It

The three imperatives that form sustainable development are: Economic, Ecological and Social. This blog will focus on the social aspect of sustainability; what it is, how it works, and then ending with some examples. The term “social capital” has often been used to describe this area of interest of sustainability.

Community, believe it or not, is a crucial component of everyone’s existence. When we think of community, we often refer to it as a group of people sharing, living, and interacting in a particular area. Community involvement often sets the priorities in towns, cities and countries all over the world, eventually creating policies which serve to shape our identities. This process can simply be called “social capital”. University of Manchester Professor Michael Woolcock defines social capital as, “The norms and networks that facilitate collective action”. Some key words that are often linked to the creation of social capital include: engagement, trust, cooperation, collective, knowledge and shared future. To measure the social capital of a certain area, indicators are often used. Examples may include the number of voluntary organizations/clubs or say the percent of people attending public meetings. This is not 100% accurate, but it helps to identify the level of community involvement that is present. Studies have shown that a correlation between social capital and higher quality education and lower crime and poverty levels. This demonstrates that a community that is involved, committed and connected is at a greater advantage socially.

Part of this blog was to describe my social capital and what affects it. In order to do this, I will list off different indicators that are specific to me. This year my social capital has been slightly altered due to the fact I am taking a very intense program. The World Bank has an amazing site on Social Capital. They provide tools in which to measure social capital in your household and community! I will be using the three of the five World Bank’s dimensions of social capital as a guide:

Groups and Networks (collections of individuals that promote and protect personal relationships which improve welfare)
- Family on my side and as well my wife’s side
- Friends from back home and new friends that I’ve met here at RRU
- Faculty and staff of RRU that I’ve recently met
- Religious activities and relationships involved there
- Facebook!

Trust and Solidarity (elements of interpersonal behaviour which fosters greater cohesion and more robust collective action)
- With some of my closer friends, and especially my family. These are true, solid relationships. Ones that make real change when times are good and when times are bad.
- Also trust in RRU to educate me at the level I need to be at as a professional

Collective Action and Cooperation (ability of people to work together toward resolving communal issues)
- The cohort of Environmental Science students is a great example of this. We work together to achieve higher learning, as well begin new and memorable relationships. As we leave school and enter into the real world, there is potential for great change in all of us.

“Social capital is the glue that holds societies together and without which there can be no economic growth or human wellbeing. Without social capital, society at large will collapse, and today’s world presents some very sad examples of this.” –World Bank

Reference: http://go.worldbank.org/C0QTRW4QF0