Tristan Claridge
Tristan Claridge is a leading expert on social capital with more than two decades of experience spanning research, policy, and practice. He is the Founding President of the International Social Capital Association, Director of the Institute for Social Capital, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and a Visiting Associate Professor at Heriot-Watt University. Tristan’s work focuses on developing a deeper, more precise understanding of social capital as a critical resource for individuals, organisations, and societies. His work bridges rigorous academic inquiry and practical implementation, offering innovative perspectives on how social capital influences individual and collective outcomes. His research focuses on capital-theoretic conceptions of social capital and the mechanisms by which it is formed, maintained, and eroded — with a particular interest in how people perceive, interpret, and act upon their social connections.
A sought-after speaker, educator and researcher, Tristan has delivered keynote addresses, lectures, and training sessions worldwide. He regularly collaborates with other researchers, practitioners, and policymakers on projects that address complex social challenges, from community resilience to organisational development. Whether working with governments, NGOs, or universities, Tristan is committed to building the field of social capital and fostering collaboration among those striving to create more connected, resilient, and equitable societies.
Social capital measurement problems
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Are you conducting researching on social capital? Are you a research student or academic? You may be interested in the International Social Capital Association (ISCA).
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For more than 10 years I have been following the literature on social capital measurement, and hoping that someone will publish a thorough synthesis and analysis of measurement techniques to produce at least a good guide to its measurement in different contexts.
I suspect this is a (near) impossible task given the commonly discussed problems with conceptualising and measuring social capital.
In the absence of such work researchers tend to identify the important elements or factors that suit their research context and develop their own instrument.
This is very effective in most cases as long as the researcher has sufficient understanding to develop an instrument informed by theory, and the ability to be critical of the potential for the instrument to make assumptions about the connection between the proxies being investigated and the elements of social capital.
This is not always the case given that many social capital researchers are approaching the concept from other disciplines and may lack awareness of these issues, which are common in social science research.
I would like to attempt a conceptually informed guide to social capital measurement one day.
Is this of interest to anyone?
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Tristan Claridge
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