social capital, social agency and sustainability

Social Capital, Social Agency and Sustainability

Social Capital, Social Agency and Sustainability

Chris Ling

Ann Dale:

Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Community Development

Royal Roads University

Social capital?

“The set of norms, networks, and organizations through which people gain access to power and resources, and through which decision-making and policy formation occur” (Grootaert, 1998)Grootaert, C. 1998. Social Capital: The Missing Link? Social Capital Initiative Working Paper No. 3. Washington, DC: World Bank.

Social capital?

• Reciprocity

• Trust

• Networks

• Bonding

• Strong

• Weak

• Bridging

Measuring Social Capital

What are the social parameters that impact social capital?

Onyx, J. and Bullen, P, 2000


What doesn’t seem to be important:

• Political position and faith in federal Government

• Contractual arrangements (general trust is much more significant)

• The position of the individual without consideration of the social context.

Onyx, J. and Bullen, P, 2000


What is important:

• Participation – involvement in community activities

• Trust and Safety – do people trust their neighbours, do they feel safe on their streets?

• Connections – Neighbourhoods (casual contacts), Families and Friends (more intimate contacts), Work (feeling part of a team)

• Tolerance of Diversity – a feeling that variety enhances rather than detract from life

• Value of Life – Am I valued by my community?Onyx, J. and Bullen, P, 2000


AND MOST IMPORTANT

• Social Agency – a sense of personal and collective efficacy

I and my community CAN make a difference

Social Agency – key questions

• Are agency, social capital and sustainable community development related to each other?

• Can agency be measured?

• Are there key actors or connectors who facilitate bridging and networking?

• How do they perceive their role in the network?

• What are the patterns of leadership and are they critical to bridging and vertical capital?

• Does membership in overlapping networks give greater agency to a community?

How are Canadian communities doing?

Survey examining the connections between liveability, social capital, agency and sustainable communities

Who is answering our survey?

fortyeight

28 1.1 1.1 1.1

1669 66.6 66.6 67.7

809 32.3 32.3 100.0

2506 100.0 100.0

F

M

Total

ValidFrequency Percent Valid Percent

CumulativePercent

15-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 >55

High Post-high Degree Post-grad

Higher than average education

Broad age range

Gender bias towards women

Who is answering our survey?

Higher than average income

Fair split between urban and rural

Total approx 2500 respondents

Huge geographic spread – every corner of Canada, all provinces, all major centers

Rural Semi-rural Suburban Urban

Are our communities accessible?

Walk Bicycle

CarpoolDrive

Public Transit

N/A < 15 mins.

to 1 hr.2 hrs.

3 hrs. > 3hrs.

N/A < 15 mins.

to 1 hr.2 hrs.

3 hrs. > 3hrs.

N/A < 15 mins.

to 1 hr.2 hrs.

3 hrs. > 3hrs.

People will walk if they can


0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Park or Green Space

Grocery Shopping

Post Office

Convenience Store

Bank Machine

Pe

rce

nt

Response

Locations Walked at Least Once/Week

* Multiple choices permitted

Are our communities accessible?P

erc

en

t

Locations Walked at Least Once/Week

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Park or GreenSpace

GroceryShopping

Post Office ConvenienceStore

Bank Machine

Rural

Semi-rural

Suburban

Urban

Rural POs – vital part of the social infrastructure


Pe

rce

nt

Locations we have access to in our community

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Diverse Restaurants

Libraries

Recreation Centres

Parks


Fre

qu

enc

y

Response

Strongly Agree

Agree Neither Disagree StronglyDisagree

Don’tKnow

Accessibility of Public Transit

25.5%

31.1%

7.6%

13.5%

16.3%

1.6%

Polarised opinions – transit is either good or bad

Are our communities safe?

Fre

qu

enc

y

Response

Strongly Agree

Agree Neither Disagree StronglyDisagree

Perceived Safety of Neighbourhood

31.9%

54.7%

7.8%

3.4%

0.4%

Are our communities safe?Generally yes – but less so the more urban you are

Are our communities safe?

Main Safety Concerns

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Crime

Traffic Accidents

Pollution

Natural Disaster

None

Other

Pe

rce

nt

Response

Reality divorced from perception – crime, especially violent crime is decreasing – potential for problems from pollution and traffic accidents is increasing – and higher than crime

Sense of belonging - trust and networks?

Correlations

1.000 .405** .308** .302** .310** .397**

. .000 .000 .000 .000 .000

2483 2465 2456 2468 2474 2457

.405** 1.000 .190** .200** .316** .210**

.000 . .000 .000 .000 .000

2465 2475 2448 2461 2468 2449

.308** .190** 1.000 .457** .279** .299**

.000 .000 . .000 .000 .000

2456 2448 2466 2455 2458 2443

.302** .200** .457** 1.000 .384** .431**

.000 .000 .000 . .000 .000

2468 2461 2455 2479 2471 2454

.310** .316** .279** .384** 1.000 .338**

.000 .000 .000 .000 . .000

2474 2468 2458 2471 2486 2459

.397** .210** .299** .431** .338** 1.000

.000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .

2457 2449 2443 2454 2459 2468

Correlation Coefficient

Sig. (2-tailed)

N


Sig. (2-tailed)

N


Sig. (2-tailed)

N


Sig. (2-tailed)

N


Sig. (2-tailed)

N


Sig. (2-tailed)

N

twelve_13

twelve_14

twelve_15

twelve_16

twelve_17

twelve_18

Spearman's rhotwelve_13 twelve_14 twelve_15 twelve_16 twelve_17 twelve_18

Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).**.

Feeling connectedFeeling connected

Pick up litter

Helping others = helping yourself

Most people can be trusted

Aware of volunteer opportunities

Trust in service and infrastructure

volunteerconnected services litter help trust

Do we feel part of our communities?

Generally yes – but less so the more urban you are

Do you trust your services and infrastructure?

Generally yes – Canadian communities have a high level of trust

Do you trust other people?

Generally yes – Canadian communities have a high level of trust

Social networks?

People are engaged socially – but not necessarily formally

Social engagements

0 1 2-3 3-5 >5

Organised religion

Organised sports

Often Sometimes Rarely Never


We are sociable creatures, but religion increasingly not important for developing them

Social networks?

The limited services of rural areas mean casual acquaintance is more common – is this linked to trust and safety?

How often do you run into friends whilst shopping?



Value and belonging

It is family and friends that people turn to

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

No one

Family

Friends

People in ReligiousOrganization

Work Colleagues

Neighbours

Other

Value and belonging

But in general people feel valued by colleagues as well – not so much by neighbours

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

None

Family

Friends

Religious Organization

Work Colleagues

Neighbours

Other

Action!

Yes

No

Canadians are engaged in their communities to a high degree -

Have you taken part in a Community project in the last three years?

Yes

No

Have you ever initiated a community-based response to an emerging issue in yourneighbourhood?

Action!Involvement in collective action, e.g. writing a letter of

protest, march or demonstration?

Often Sometimes Rarely Never Often Sometimes Rarely Never

But perhaps more so in rural areas?

Often Sometimes Rarely Never Often Sometimes Rarely Never

Case studies

• Community response to watershed logging – Salt spring Island

• United We Can – Downtown Eastside Vancouver

Salt Spring Island

Residents of Salt Spring Island acted to protect an area of forest watershed that was being clear cut by a small private logging company.

Aerial photo, Mt. Tuam, July 2000. Photo: Osman Phillips

Salt Spring Island

Social Capital:

• Many groups linked together – combination of weak and strong bonds.

• Some key individuals (leaders) bringing groups together – bridging.

Photo from the ‘Salt Spring Women Preserve and Protect' calendar 2001

Salt Spring Island

Social Agency:

• Variety of tactics reflecting different groups

• Raised publicity

• Gained support of more formal organisations from elsewhere

• Resulted in increased capacity for the community to act

www.amnestyusa.org

Salt Spring Island

Sustainable Community Development:

• 665 ha of land purchased

• Watershed and rare ecosystem protection

• Protection of natural and cultural capital

United We Can: Downtown Eastside Vancouver

In 5 years a group of binners developed a $1.6 million pa revenue recycling business.

Employing 33 full-time previously unemployed people and has contact with 700-750 street people a day

Photo: United We Can


Social Capital:

• Key individuals with strong social bonds came together to start the creation of a network.

• The bridging capital between the strong network and the wider population leads to the success.

• Social capital allowed the leverage and exploitation of municipal and provincial resources and grants

Ken Lyotier – CEO United we Can


Social Agency:

• Formalized previously existing activity

• Community led and driven

• Strong belief in the possibility of change

Ken Lyotier – CEO United we Can


Sustainable Community Development:

• Provides a network, sense of community and safe environment for personal recovery of mental and physical well-being

• 50,000 bottles a day are recycled that would otherwise be land filled

• Giving hundreds of marginalized people a legitimate economic outlet

Photo: United We Can

social capital, social agency and sustainability

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