A general guide for the practical application of social capital
$45.00
Author: Tristan Claridge
A general guide on the practical application of social capital and an overview of the different ways the concept can be applied to real-world applications. It breaks down the complexity of social capital into more easily understood components. It establishes the logic of social capital and provides a framework that is suitable for any application. It helps practitioners to build the understanding required for the purposeful and systematic application of social capital.
Social capital is an important conceptual tool with significant potential to improve outcomes anywhere people work together or where cooperation and positive social action are beneficial – which is just about every human endeavour. The concept of social capital connects social processes with the outcomes they produce, allowing us to be more purposeful and deliberate in our activities. It provides a framework for understanding why and how people collaborate, interact positively, and work together. Social capital is valuable anywhere people work together or exchange, so it can be applied to any community, group, organisation, team, project, or activity.
Our approach outlined in this guide is theoretically grounded, logically consistent, and balanced. It is based on over 20 years of experience researching and applying the concept and on extensive existing theory. Social capital requires two components: people must be connected otherwise there are limited opportunities for positive social action; and people must be inclined or predisposed to act and act positively when opportunities arise. This guide outlines the general approach and the key ways in which the concept can be applied in practice and identifies many of the common programs that can be implemented. It provides a broad framework that can be used to design, implement, and evaluate a wide variety of applications of social capital.
“This guide brilliantly frames the concept of social capital, moving beyond the research and presenting ideas for its operationalization within our societies. It intertwines the institutions, policy makers, organizations and individuals into a logical flow of process, stock and flow alongside other traditional forms of capital. A transformative guide to understanding the human experience.”
Dr Jeff Donaldson
Tristan Claridge has over 20 years of experience researching and applying social capital to a wide range of contexts. 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 to understanding 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.
After 20 years of working on social capital from both theoretical and practical perspectives, Tristan has a deep and grounded understanding of the concept and its application. He has a broad foundation for understanding social capital from numerous disciplines and industry perspectives. Tristan is able to apply complex social theory to real-world situations and reach insightful conclusions based on this extensive experience.
Contents
Executive Summary
1 Introduction
1.1 Purpose of the guide
1.2 Who is this guide for?
1.3 How this guide is structured
2 Getting started with social capital
2.1 What is social capital?
2.2 A new term for old ideas
2.3 The logic of social capital
2.4 Why has social capital become a popular concept?
2.5 What is low social capital?
2.6 Can social capital be negative?
2.7 How can “capital” produce negative outcomes?
2.8 What is negative social capital?
2.9 Why should you care about social capital?
2.10 How to communicate social capital to stakeholders and decision-makers
3 Importance of social capital
3.1 Importance for individuals
3.2 Importance for groups and organisations
3.3 Importance for communities and society
3.4 Examples of the importance of social capital
4 How can social capital be used in practical applications?
4.1 What is the value of social capital for practical applications?
4.2 A tool for many purposes
4.3 Conventional approaches
5 Our approach to the practical application of social capital
5.1 Our approach
5.2 Individual and collective properties
5.3 Interventions across levels
5.4 A schema for the application of social capital
6 The practical application of social capital
6.1 How to get started
6.2 Individual properties of social capital
6.3 Collective properties
6.4 Activation context
6.5 Enabling environment
7 Summary
List of Figures
Figure 1. The logic schema of social capital.
Figure 2. What is high/low and positive/negative social capital?
Figure 3. Schema for the application of social capital.
Figure 4. The practical application of social capital within the context of the logic schema of social capital.
List of Tables
Table 1. The various aspects of the main components of social capital.
Table 2. The individual and collective properties of social capital.
Table 3. Matrix of aspects and properties of social capital.
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Joseph McMaster –
This is an excellent guide to the practical application of social capital.
Jonai Grignon –
Tristan Claridge cuts through the academic jargon to the deeper meaning of social capital in a way that is both easy to understand and to apply to practical applications. The simple yet elegant distinction between connectedness, that provides the opportunity and ability, and predispositions, that shape the nature of outcomes, creates a clear logic and explanation for social capital. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in social capital.