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SOCIAL CAPITAL: BENEFITS OF HUMAN SOCIABILITY

We provide training, research and reporting, facilitation and presentation services in relation to social capital, particularly for organisations

Guide to Social Capital
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AN INTRIGUING INTEGRATION OF SOCIOLOGY & ECONOMICS

Social capital is fundamentally about how people interact with each other, how they work together, share, help, and collaborate. 

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SOCIAL CAPITAL & ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE

The core of our business is working with organisations that would like to improve their social capital and organisational culture.

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Latest Articles

The “wicked problems” of social capital theory

March 9, 2021

Social capital in the formation of local institutions and their contribution to territorial governance

December 14, 2020

Social norms and social sanctions An aspect of the relational dimension of social capital

December 13, 2020

Applicability of Social Capital by the World Bank in Brazilian Poor Spaces

November 29, 2020

Informal Sanctions

October 29, 2020

see more articles

Why is social capital important?

How isn’t it? Social capital is entwined in so much of our lives without us being aware of it. However, the more we are aware of it’s importance, the more we are likely to see it’s benefits. 

Working together

Without social capital humans could not work together. This is because social capital is the shared values, norms, trust, and belonging that make social exchange possible.

Better leadership

An understanding of social capital improves leadership capabilities. It can support the improvement of organizational culture because it considers factors often overlooked.

It's capital

A lot of attention is paid to financial capital, human capital, natural capital etc. All forms of capital have benefits to an organization but some are often not given their due attention. Ignoring social capital can exacerbate issues within your organization.

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Social Capital Research

Social Capital Research
In this webinar, Associate Professor Paul Haynes discusses his previous work on social capital and his current work on assemblages. According to Ben Fine: “social capital is to social science as McDonald’s is to gourmet food” (Fine 2010: 21). While this is not exactly a great endorsement, it suggests that they are comprised of the same entities, which offers the possibility, at least, to conceptualise what can be done to make the social capital concept more appetising for social theorists. This presentation begins by identifying some of the weaknesses of the social capital concept and offers an approach with which to address these limitations. Using insights from the work of Deleuze and Guattari (but not DeLanda!), social capital can be retrofitted into social assemblages. This promises to give more specificity to the structure of social capital and more insight into the mechanisms through which assemblages are shaped. The webinar was on Friday June 11, 2021 and was part of the regular webinar sessions held by Social Capital Research https://www.socialcapitalresearch.com/ as part of the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/socialcapitalresearch
Associate Professor Paul Haynes: Assembling Social Capital
YouTube Video UC6NOu8v0Oe8xaLn4UK9s36g_WpTAsSCvP4k
In this webinar, Dr Evangelos Ntontis discusses how climate change is increasing the prevalence and impact of extreme events, which may have severe psychosocial aftereffects for the people and communities who are affected. To mitigate their impact, governments advocate developing community resilience. Most approaches to community resilience employ the concept of social capital, suggesting that communities with more dense preexisting networks of trust and reciprocity are more likely to prepare for, respond to, and recover more effectively from disasters. Notwithstanding the benefits of the social capital approach in explaining aspects of community resilience, I will argue that social capital cannot account for microprocesses of disaster behavior regarding the mobilization of communities and the emergence of groups in absence of pre-existing bonds or networks. Using empirical research I will demonstrate how community resilience theorizing can benefit through insights from the social identity approach in social psychology and principles of collective psychosocial resilience—the way that shared identification allows groups to emerge, coordinate, express solidarity, and provide social support. Overall, I will argue that this approach can overcome the limitations of social capital because it can explain the processes of group behavior in disasters, promotes bottom-up approaches to community resilience, recognizes emergent communities, and suggests evidence-based recommendations for policy and practice. The links between social capital and the social identity approach will also be discussed. The webinar was on Friday June 11, 2021 and was part of the regular webinar sessions held by Social Capital Research https://www.socialcapitalresearch.com/ as part of the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/socialcapitalresearch
Dr Evangelos Ntontis: What lies beyond social capital?
YouTube Video UC6NOu8v0Oe8xaLn4UK9s36g_N29Av46tzJw
In this webinar, Professor Eric M. Uslaner, Professor of Government and Politics at University of Maryland–College Park discusses Trust, Segregation, and National Identity. The webinar was on Thursday May 27, 2021 and was part of the regular webinar sessions held by Social Capital Research https://www.socialcapitalresearch.com/ as part of the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/socialcapitalresearch Social cohesion is a multifaceted concept including generalized trust, measures of well-being such as socio-economic conditions (are people thriving, suffering, or struggling) and whether they accept diversity, and national identity (belonging to a nation and deserving its welfare benefits). I first consider trust, moving from what constitutes trust in different scenarios, how they differ from each other, which forms of trust are most stable, and how best to measure trust. I then consider determinants of trust, specifically inequality and segregation. Then I consider well-being and its determinants and focus on the historical role of education in shaping both trust and finally, I consider variants of well-being and their determinants. I pay particular attention to the inclusivity of trust and how feelings about identity shape politics–and how political views are shaped by how the less inclusive sense of identity affects how deserving minorities are for government programs by the majority. Eric M. Uslaner is Professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland–College Park. He the author of eleven books, including The Historical Roots of Corruption (Cambridge University Press, 2017), The Moral Foundations of Trust (Cambridge University Press, 2002; Chinese translation, Chinese Social Sciences Press, 2007; Korean translation, Today’s Books, 2014), Corruption, Inequality, and the Rule of Law: (Cambridge University Press, 2008; paperback, 2010; Chinese translation forthcoming 2018, Chinese Social Sciences Press; Japanese translation, Nippon Hyoron Sha, 2011), Segregation and Mistrust: Diversity, Isolation, and Social Cohesion (Cambridge University Press, 2012), The Movers and the Shirkers (University of Michigan Pressk 1999), The Decline of Comity in Congress (University of Michigan Press, 1993), Shale Barrel Politics (Stanford University Press, 1989) and approximately 200 articles. He is the editor of the Oxford Handbook of Social and Political Trust (Oxford University Press, 2018). He has been a consultant to the United Nations Human Development Fund and the Taihe Institute of Beijing, China. He is also a Research Associate for the Gallup Organization and the co-editor with Nils Holtug of National Identity and Social Cohesion (ECPR Press, 2021) and with Chong-Min Kim, Inequality and Democratic Poltics in East Asia (Routledge, 2019).
Prof Eric Uslaner: Trust, Segregation, and National Identity
YouTube Video UC6NOu8v0Oe8xaLn4UK9s36g_8k9XcXSObCg
In this webinar Bob Putnam will discuss the evolution of his work on social capital over the last 30 years from Making Democracy Work (1993) to The Upswing (2020). If you are at all familiar with the concept of social capital, you will know Putnam’s publications on the topic, and how incredibly important and influential his work has been. Bob will discuss his historical experiences with social capital research, how to overcome challenges, and what steps are useful to communicate the topic within academia and politics. All this will be framed in the context of his latest book The Upswing, How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again, including a brief backstory of how he came to write the book. This is an unmissable opportunity to hear, first-hand, from the most famous scholar on social capital, and one of the most influential scholars of our generation across all the social sciences. The webinar was on Friday May 21, 2021 and was part of the regular webinar sessions held by Social Capital Research https://www.socialcapitalresearch.com/ as part of the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/socialcapitalresearch Arabic subtitles by Mohannad Mohammad French subtitles by Ernest Kreutzer 00:00 Welcome by Tristan Claridge 03:42 Introduction by Jacob Spanke 08:43 Presentation by Professor Putnam 02:10:40 Question and Answer
Prof. Robert Putnam: A reflection on 30 years of social capital research and “The upswing”
YouTube Video UC6NOu8v0Oe8xaLn4UK9s36g_FwGdRNvlWnA
In this webinar Professor Chris Holtkamp, Assistant Professor of Environmental Planning at the University of Wisconsin River Falls, will discuss the development of a social capital research project. One of the challenges of social capital research is in finding support and funding for potential projects. Grant providers often want specific metrics and results that can be difficult to obtain in social capital research. I will present the process I am using to develop a grant application to support research into the relationship between dairy herd size, social capital, and economic conditions in Wisconsin. I will discuss the purpose of the research, the process of developing my proposal, and some of the challenges associated with the proposal process. Additionally, I will cover how I intend to measure social capital. For new researchers, this conversation will offer insight into the process of developing a research agenda, putting together grant applications, and ensuring the proposal is ready for review and critique. Chris Holtkamp, PhD, AICP is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Planning at the University of Wisconsin River Falls. He teaches courses focused on urban planning and community development. Prior to earning his PhD in 2018 and becoming a professor, he was a practicing urban planner working primarily in rural communities across Central Texas. His research focuses on the relationship between social capital and economic conditions, with a goal of developing practices and policies that can leverage social capital to foster more sustainable economic vitality. The webinar was held on Friday May 15, 2021 as part of the regular webinar and discussion group sessions held by Social Capital Research & Training https://www.socialcapitalresearch.com/ as part of the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/socialcapitalresearch
Developing a Social Capital Research Project
YouTube Video UC6NOu8v0Oe8xaLn4UK9s36g_42qzdn65k4w
In this webinar Susan Hasty gives a brief presentation on the nexus of research regarding platform design, business model evolution & collaboration engineering and co-facilitate group discussion exploring how community resilience might be impacted by these sociotechnical and socioeconomic changes and if Social Capital research could support a better trajectory. Susan Hasty has over 30 years experience as a serial entrepreneur in multiple industries including real estate, commercial finance and business consulting. Her passion for business architecture, organizational design and human development, fueled by her work with organizations and curiosity to learn more about how strategy, structures and governance impact economic performance, led her on a multi-year research journey. Her findings draw from multiple fields of research including Information Management, Technology Architecture & Design, Knowledge Management, Cognitive Science, Physics, Complexity Science and Evolutionary Economics. Susan is a Graduate of East Carolina University (Greenville, NC) and holds a BSBA in Business and Psychology. The webinar was held on Friday April 30, 2021 as part of the regular webinar and discussion group sessions held by Social Capital Research & Training https://www.socialcapitalresearch.com/ as part of the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/socialcapitalresearch
The Future of Work; Will the intended users trust the automation?
YouTube Video UC6NOu8v0Oe8xaLn4UK9s36g__QLEowvyDvU
In this webinar Jacob Spanke discusses questions such as: What do we know about trust in Greece? What are the deep-rooted societal causes of the Greek crisis? How was an equilibrium of low trust transmitted? What economic impact did the low amount of trust have? Jacob Spanke is involved in social capital research for five years by now. He wrote his master thesis about lacking trust as cause of the Greek crisis and is now pursuing a PhD at the University of Siegen. The webinar was held on Friday April 30, 2021 as part of the regular webinar and discussion group sessions held by Social Capital Research & Training https://www.socialcapitalresearch.com/ as part of the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/socialcapitalresearch
Lacking Trust as cause of the Greek crisis
YouTube Video UC6NOu8v0Oe8xaLn4UK9s36g_ZxB_dDE0ovY
In this webinar Dr Will Etti discusses the intersectionality of social capital, human capital, leader-member exchange theory in women leadership advancement in U.S. federal government. His presentation is based on his PhD research “A case study of women managers leadership advancement in general schedule 13 to 15 pay scale within the federal government civil services”. Dr Will Etti have over 20-years of teaching and professional experience in Acquisition and Supply Chain Management manager in the U.S. federal government, and expertise in both organizational leadership theories, with practical application, quantitative and qualitative research experience. Dr. Etti has mentored and advise doctoral students in the dissertation phase, taught topics including dissertation research design, qualitative case study research methodology, business critical thinking and problem-solving methodologies, acquisitions and supply chain management, interpersonal communications, pricing and negotiations, organizational leadership, business communication, business management, organizational behavior, organizational change management, business administration risk management, communication in organizations, federal grants and cooperative agreements, management and supervision. The webinar was held on Friday April 16, 2021 as part of the regular webinar and discussion group sessions held by Social Capital Research & Training https://www.socialcapitalresearch.com/ as part of the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/socialcapitalresearch
A case study of women managers leadership advancement
YouTube Video UC6NOu8v0Oe8xaLn4UK9s36g_MQMLDg9RDVk
In this webinar Tristan Claridge discusses the several nagging tensions and incongruences associated with the concept of social capital that are typically ignored but are impossible to escape and, it seems, to resolve. Critics are quick to point to these problems but the growing body of literature on social capital seems immune to criticism. Is it useful to frame these issues as “wicked problems”? This session discusses which problems associated with the concept of social capital should be considered “wicked” and how these problems can best be resolved or mitigated. Tristan Claridge has been researching and applying the concept of social capital to a wide range of contexts for over 20 years. He is a geographer and environmental scientist with a passion for sustainable development and poverty alleviation. He takes an interdisciplinary perspective by combining the lessons of economics, sociology, political science, psychology, urban planning and any other discipline that contributes understanding to the concept. Tristan’s research on social capital has progressed the theoretical understanding of the concept and its implications. While deeply concerned with improving the theory, he has widely applied the concept. In addition to development and poverty alleviation, Tristan has also applied social capital theory to community development, organisational culture, leadership, and the general challenges of modernity – particularly the role of non-economic forms of capital and their transformative effects on governance. The webinar was held on Wednesday March 31, 2021 as part of the regular webinar and discussion group sessions held by Social Capital Research & Training https://www.socialcapitalresearch.com/ as part of the Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/socialcapitalresearch 00:00 Introduction 10:47 Social capital as contested concept 17:22 1. What is “it”? 20:31 2. Linked to action (or is it?) 22:44 3. Reality and rationality (ontology) 26:21 4. Tangible, Intangible, Transcendental 28:51 5. Positivity paradox 30:57 6. Circularity and tautology 34:12 7. Potentiality and contingency 36:55 8. Universality and fluidity 42:02 9. Explanatory power (or lack of) 47:42 Summary 49:43 Discussion
The wicked problems of social capital theory
YouTube Video UC6NOu8v0Oe8xaLn4UK9s36g_di4U0MXAEW8
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Academic interest in social capital

Over the last three decades the concept of social capital has swept across the social sciences, into the physical sciences, and virtually every area of academic enquiry. It has been adopted outside of academia; in politics, business, and international development, to name a few. But some people have suggested that its popularity is in decline. The data, however, does not support this view.

This short video illustrates the rise of social capital in different fields using data from the Web of Science database. It shows how the number of publications on social capital has increased in each field over time.

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