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The Rohingya ethnic group is one of the most persecuted minorities, whose specific circumstances pose unique and interesting challenges. The digital revolution is transforming the world and is leaving refugees behind (UNHCR). In this paper, we present a multiphase user centred approach we used to explore how Rohingya refugees could access assistance by utilizing technology they already have or share; both early on and long after they arrived in a new country. The findings we present from phase 1, which was an early participatory design phase, were confirmed and endorsed by the Rohingya community, UNHCR and local charities during phase 3. These findings, suggest that concepts aiming to assist Rohingya refugees should primarily focus on: safety, social capital, upskilling, and language translation. Finally, we present the iterative user centred design, implementation, and evaluation of one of these concepts focusing on safety, before being deployed within the Rohingya community in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refugees spend an average of 17 years living in limbo. This time is usually seen by refugees and scholars as 'lost' or 'wasted' time. Pierre Bourdieu theorized time as critical in accumulating social and cultural capital; foundations of socio-economic status. Families with greater economic capital can provide their offspring with more 'time free from economic necessity', enabling activities that will enhance their status. Time and economic capital are often de-linked by refugee journeys, stripping refugees of economic capital, but leaving an over-abundance of time. This paper uses Bourdieu's work on time and capital to examine how refugees in one community use time during multi-year transit. Based on fieldwork with a single community, this paper argues that, rather than 'wasting' time, members of this community are using refugee time to accumulate social and cultural capital, which some then convert to migration capital and hasten their refugee journeys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International collaborations are important for developing science systems. Using a dataset of South African university scientists, we ask whether social capital relevant to international collaboration held by one scientist spills over to local colleagues. Distinguishing between different ways of acquiring foreign ties, we find that 20% of our cases resemble the most-studied form of international collaborations, via the unique ties of an individual with specific characteristics, e.g., foreign research training. In all other cases, both personal and local peers' international social capital is relevant for foreign tie formation. Underlining the systemic functioning of science, international social capital is activated through scientific collaboration among local scientists. The mediating effect of local scientific collaboration is present across all scientific fields and holds for scientists trained locally or abroad. Our findings thus imply that local collaboration is a relevant mechanism to strengthen international collaboration and the formation of international social capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable, healthy families are the loto or heart of strong Pacific communities. This paper addresses the problem of a decline in the strength of Pacific families. It introduces and discusses the Tongan concept of O'ofaki , as the way in which shared, core relational commitments can bring Pasifika peoples together to support one another for health and community development. This process is based on a reciprocal sharing of social capital to promote cultural solidarity and social justice. We describe two studies by the lead author, through which the concept of O'ofaki emerged. The first study utilized an action research model while the second study focused on two Pasifika-centric research approaches: talanga , which is a Tongan word for interactive talking for a purpose, and the kakala (Tongan garland) research approach. The latter approach is incorporated within a general inductive methodology as well as luva— the dissemination of the results. Finally, the paper focuses on the components of O'ofaki and its application to Pasifika communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research shows that economic, political and social factors all drive migration, but we still know little about their interaction, especially the interplay between increasingly selective migration policies and family relations. Studies stress the role played by social capital in responding to migration restrictions and the importance of intermediaries in encouraging access to institutional resources, but we lack systematic analyses linking migrant networks and recourse to migration-facilitating programs. This paper fills this gap by investigating how siblings' influence and migration programs combine in shaping migration from the French Overseas departments (DOM). Using a survey with detailed information on DOM families' migration histories (MFV, INED, 2010), it assesses whether individuals stay, migrate with or without the support of migration programs, depending on their siblings' past trajectories. A longitudinal approach and the nesting of individuals within families allow controlling for unobserved heterogeneity. Siblings migrating without the programs' support decrease the chances of migration with it and increase the chances of migration without it. Siblings migrating with the programs' support increase the chances of migration with it and decrease the chances of migration without it. This work shows how DOM populations engage with selective pro-migration policies, stressing the role of family relations in driving cumulative patterns of migration. It contributes to uncovering the way social and political factors interact in contexts of high migration prevalence with increased selectivity of migration and especially pro-migration policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how social capital and property regulations shape cultural producers' ability to own copyrights for the products they create. Because individual producers lack the resources required to develop and distribute their creations, they partner with large firms who demand the copyrights for products they invest in. I argue two types of social capital—status and partner substitutability—enable producers to own their creations by increasing their bargaining power over the firms they partner with. Moreover, I propose that different types of property regulations condition whether status or partner substitutability have a stronger role in producers' ownership outcomes. Analyzing all shows made for American television from 1956 to 1996, I show that increases in showrunners' status and number of broadcasters they collaborated with increased the probability they owned shows they produced. However, the effects of these social capitals were contingent on the property regulations showrunners operated under. These findings advance our understanding of the allocation of copyrights, the power dynamics between creators and firms, and the effects of social capital in cultural industries. They didn't have to pay me because I signed the contract. But is that right? I found out that these people were streaming my work, and they never had to ask me...They stole that from me. They just took it! (Dave Chappelle, The Unforgiven, 2021). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores country-level macro-structural conditions that are associated with social capital, measured as individuals' access to social resources. To explain differences in social capital across societies, we formulate hypotheses based on welfare state generosity, cultural orientations (collectivism vs. individualism), and income inequality. We test our hypotheses using data from the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) 2017, which comprises a total sample size of 50,010 individuals living in 33 countries. We use the position generator survey instrument to build two composite measures of social capital: the diversity and the socio-economic status of social contacts. Multilevel regression models reveal that diversity of social contacts is generally greater among individuals in countries with generous welfare states, while access to contacts of a higher socio-economic status is generally better among individuals in countries with higher levels of individualism. A country's income inequality is not associated with the social capital of its citizens. However, the association between a person's socioeconomic status and the diversity of their social capital is moderated by income inequality. As such, our study serves to demonstrate that macro-social conditions at the country level do influence individual social capital and have different implications depending on the dimension considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older people in England who pay for social care from their own funds ('self-funders') receive little help in seeking and arranging care compared to older people funded by their local council. This suggests an implicit assumption that people funded by local councils need help to manage their care whereas self-funders do not. This article reports findings from a scoping review of published evidence from England, Scotland and Wales on the skills that older people need, and the help they get, to seek, arrange or manage use of social care, and how this help affects outcomes. Searches undertaken in October 2018 resulted in the inclusion of thirty-six empirical papers and seven reviews. Thematic analysis identified the importance of everyday life and specific business skills, and personal attributes including objectivity when evaluating options. The review identified two significant gaps in the evidence: first, how help in seeking and arranging care compensated for lack of, or complemented existing, skills; and secondly, how outcomes for people receiving help in arranging care compared with those not receiving help. The article concludes that a tailored approach to supporting older people arrange and manage care, irrespective of funding, should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health impact assessment (HIA) is a method by which a policy, programme or project falling outside traditional health fields, may be judged as to its potential effects on the health of a population to mitigate negative impacts and strengthen the positive ones. Proposals are analysed from the perspective of all the determinants of health. In France, HIAs are mainly applied to urban development projects where social cohesion (SCo) is a major issue. Although the HIA method is well structured as a step-by-step process, there are no guidelines for assessing SCo. This article opens with literature review to clarify the concept of SCo and to understand how the built environment influences SCo and how social environment influence health. Drawing on this work, this paper presents an analytical framework to assess SCo, integrating both the spatial and physical dimensions of urban design and the perceptions of the neighbourhood characteristics. Following a brief overview of the key findings from applying this framework to HIA of an urban development project, the paper discusses its related strengths and weaknesses. The framework could be a useful tool for HIA as it embraces knowledge from both urban planning and social sciences. It also allows for an overall analysis of all the indicators without relying on a checklist. Nevertheless, it should be tested further to improve its validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media applications are used daily by billions to communicate. Adolescents living in state care are no different, yet the potential implications of their social media use are. Despite the global use of social media and evidence highlighting their role in social capital cultivation, how adolescents living in state care make use of social media remains unknown, with discussions tending to focus exclusively on risk. Using data from a four-year Digital Life Story Work (DLSW) research programme, this paper explores adolescents' and social care professionals' (n =45) perspectives on the everyday use of social media by adolescents living in state care. Using an ethnographic multi-method approach, extracts of conversations from the four English residential homes engaged in the DLSW programme were thematically analysed. Three major themes emerged; contacts as currency, promoting and protecting the self and transitions. Analysis illustrates how adolescents living in state care use social media as active digital agents and the need to reframe this usage to enable benefits to be enacted. The paper concludes that urgent research is needed to enable practitioners and policy makers to show a deeper appreciation of the potentials of social media, enabling a more balanced approach to succeed in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomenon of widespread genetic ancestry testing has raised questions about its social impact, particularly on issues of race. Some accounts suggest testing can promote bridging social capital – connections between racial groups. In this multi-method paper, we ask whether (1) taking genetic ancestry tests (GATs) and (2) receiving results of African, Asian, or Native American ancestry increases network racial diversity for White Americans. We use a randomized controlled trial of 802 White, non-Hispanic Americans, half of whom received GATs. Unexpected findings show that test-takers' network racial diversity decreases after testing. Using 58 follow-up interviews, we develop and test a possible theory, finding initial evidence that test-takers' network racial diversity declines because they reconsider their racial appraisals of others in their networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies about antisocial behaviour (ASB) in the school environment are based on a single conceptual and theoretical framework, producing partial results that limit our understanding of the problem. Using a more inclusive approach, this paper uses survey data from the educational system in Mexico to explore the relationship between the forms of capital introduced by Bourdieu (1986), their associated inequalities, and the perception of ASB of students of secondary schools. The results show that social capital was the only form of capital with a consistent effect across all types of schools and localities. Economic and cultural capital and their associated inequalities were linked to the perception of ASB but only amongst students of some types of schools and localities. It is concluded that further analyses must take into account various aspects at the individual and school level, but particularly understand the unique characteristics of different environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies how social capital is divided across classes in Chile, one of the most unequal countries in the world. We analyse the extent to which upper-, middle-, and lower class individuals congregate in social networks with similar others, while following Bourdieu and expecting that in particular the networks of the higher social strata are segregated in terms of social capital. We test our argument with large-scale, representative survey data for the Chilean urban population aged 18–75 years (n  = 2,517) and build an integrated indicator of people's social class that combines measures of education, occupational class, and household income. Our regression analyses show that upper-class individuals have larger networks and access to more varied and prestigious social resources than their middle- and lower class counterparts. Interestingly, however, we found a U-shaped relationship between social class and class homogeneity, indicating that network segregation is high at the top as well as at the bottom of the class-based social strata. In contrast, the classes in the middle have more heterogeneous class networks, possibly forming an important bridge between the "edges" of the class structure. These findings demonstrate that whereas social and economic capital cumulates in higher classes, the lower classes are socially deprived next to their economic disadvantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2000, Robert Putnam forecast that United States (US) democracy was at risk from the twin challenges of declining civic engagement and rising interpersonal inequality. Sixteen years later, his predictions were vindicated by the election of Donald Trump as president of the US. This paper analyses the extent to which the 2016 election of Donald Trump—and his failed re-election bid in 2020—have been related to levels of social capital and interpersonal inequalities. We posit an alternative: that the rise in votes for Trump has been the result of long-term economic and population decline in areas with strong social capital. This hypothesis is confirmed by the econometric analysis conducted for US counties. Long-term declines in employment and population—rather than in earnings, salaries, or wages—in places with relatively strong social capital propelled Donald Trump to the presidency and almost secured his re-election. By contrast, low social capital and high interpersonal inequality were not connected to a surge in support for Trump. These results are robust to the introduction of control variables and different inequality measures. The analysis also shows that the discontent at the base of the Trump margin is not just a consequence of the 2008 crisis but had been brewing for a long time. Places in the US that remained cohesive but witnessed an enduring decline are no longer bowling alone, they have golfed with Trump and will, in all likelihood, continue to golf with Trumpism or other forms of populism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The policy language of recent UK governments in relation to 'activating' communities has drawn on images of 'community' as coherent constructions - communities of place - recognizable to their members who are capable of concerted action. From this conceptual basis, localities identified as 'ineffective' are encouraged to become 'successful, integrated communities' through government action such as New Labour's Working Together neighbourhood policies and the more recent Big Society initiatives of the Conservative-led Coalition Government. The shared fallacy is that individuals are policy-receptive actors with the potential to engage in community life 'successfully' (consensually) once 'empowered' to do so. This paper questions the efficacy of applying politically neutralized values of empowerment, community and participation in government policy to 'real world' communities by applying the lessons of a case study of the lived experience of community action in the late 1990s, during an arguably golden policy era of government sponsored community participation. In this study, the work of Georg Simmel was used to highlight the dynamism of human associations and the co-presence of apparently contradictory currents of conflict and co-operation. Qualitative network analysis illustrated the webbed intricacies of participating in 'community' and the importance of recognizing conflict as an element of the whole process of participation - which should not be elided by policy makers. The paper concludes that conflict has a positive role to play in sustainable community processes: it is both an undeniably inherent element of participation and a democratic imperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social capital is a controversial concept, which is used in economics as a generic form of pro-sociality and a simple means to introduce the social context into mainstream approaches. However, the accepted view underestimates social conflict and does not properly characterise social capital as an asset. When considering these issues, a different face of social capital emerges, one that can be associated with closure and privilege maintenance. This paper studies how access to and the extraction of social network resources depend on the social structure. By analysing data from a survey that included a position and a resource generator, we find that for the case of Spanish society, people endowed with high levels of economic and human capital enjoy improved accessibility and networks with a high prevalence of instrumental relations. There is essential inequality in the endowment of social capital, which augments economic inequality. When inequality is socially embedded, traditional redistributive policies may have limited effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Garrett Hardin's 1968 essay "The Tragedy of the Commons" famously decried the vulnerability of finite communal resources to overexploitation. Yet collective accessibility to and ownership of resources need not necessarily lead to their mismanagement or abuse; rather, the practice of sharing resources can engender positive environmental, social, economic, and political impacts. Social capital, as both the source and product of relational interactions which occur within public space, constitutes one of these benefits. This paper investigates the relationship between temporary communal spaces and social capital through a case study of the Commons project in Christchurch, New Zealand. Generated by both the space itself and the interactions that occur within it, the social capital created in and through the Commons has become a powerful symbol of recovery in a city recovering from disaster. Instead of the tragedy of the commons, therefore, this paper presents the story of the Commons of the tragedy and explores the ways in which social capital has been fostered in and through this space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the different meanings of the concept of social cohesion, within the framework of sociology and of public policies related to strategies for development. The aim is to explore the relationship between social cohesion and the decrease in inequity and social inequality on one hand, and the role of knowledge in those strategies on the other, aiming to find alternative models for social development. The meaning of concepts parallel to that of social cohesion in the sociological literature, such as social capital, organized collective action and social networks, is reviewed. The paper systematizes the arguments of international organizations about social cohesion, in particular the approaches of the Economic Commission for Latin America. Finally, some arguments are built on the relationship between knowledge, social cohesion and social development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper applies social capital analysis to the geographic variations in health care utilization documented by the Dartmouth Atlas project. The paper proposes a typology of social capital effects on behaviour relevant to health policy, including a dimension of interpersonal transactions in which strict adherence to a duty to others may be overcome by a measure of selfishness. The paper examines the concept of physician-induced demand through this lens, hypothesizing that regions with low social capital will have a higher intensity of health care resource utilization. A series of regressions employing indicators of intensity is presented to illustrate a likely link between social capital and utilization. The paper concludes that, while other effects of social capital may explain geographic variations, there appears to be enough circumstantial evidence of opportunistic behaviour by physicians to justify consideration of more rigorous physician payment policies in the US Medicare programme. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper uses the foundation of the conceptual framework proposed by Ager and Strang (2004a, 2008) to reflect on the focus and findings of papers in this special issue on refugee integration and other recent work. Arguing that ‘mid-level theory’ of the sort presented in the framework provides a strong basis for structuring academic debate and dialogue with practitioners and policymakers, we identify four key issues that although of some current interest warrant further attention. First, we consider recent evidence from Europe and elsewhere on how prevailing notions of nationhood and citizenship determine understandings of integration, and argue that this powerfully shapes the social space available to refugees with regard to ‘belonging’. Second, we note the wide adoption of concepts of social capital in framing components of social connection in the context of integration, but suggest greater attention is paid to the manner in which bonds, bridges and links establish forms of reciprocity and trust in social relations. Third, we examine the notion that integration is a ‘two way’ process, and suggest how this might be expanded to embrace the multiplicity and fluidity of social meaning and identity. Fourth, we reflect on Hobfoll’s (1998) work on ‘resource acquisition spirals’ as a basis for effectively conceptualizing the dynamic interplay between factors mapped by the framework in shaping trajectories of integration. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Despite overwhelming interest in the role of social capital in international development, attention to the interplay of community-based development aid with local collective-action dynamics in Central Asia and particularly Tajikistan has remained limited. This paper investigates donor-induced local institutions for collective action in rural Tajikistan with a focus on the introduction of a community-based health insurance. Social capital and collective-action theories are used to interpret results from qualitative research in two Rushan District villages in the Gorno-Badakhshan region. By highlighting the role of donor embeddedness, and the perceived legitimacy of different decision-making structures, the article contends that the perception of such externally-induced change depends on the community's capacity to reach beyond the intra-communal solidarity network through bridging and linking capital. The findings suggest this can be fostered by addressing trust, and the role of effective development brokers, with due attention to power relations within communities and towards external agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although family and friends can drain a household's finances by requesting personal loans, lenders have proven savvy in how they respond to such requests. Beyond identifying the importance of sincerity tests for curtailing the pressure to help others in one's social circle, the studies of negative social capital do not address why the pressure to lend varies according to the dramaturgical performance strategies of the benefactors. In other words, how do potential lenders manage to say no without saying no? Using interview evidence from clients at the Mission Asset Fund in California, we show how individuals engage in obfuscatory relational work, performing a self that evades the taboo of greedy callousness, while sometimes telling half-truths about not being able to help in the way borrowers would like. Unlike the concept of obfuscatory relational work, however, we focus on expected transfers that do not happen and on unreciprocated gifts that are disguised as loans. The lender and recipient are engaged in face-saving obfuscation; but in the first case, the lender presents a generous self that is emotionally close to the borrower; in the second, the lender helps the recipient of the gift maintain face by avoiding an awkward ask, pretending the "loan" is expected to be repaid. This paper outlines different strategies of obfuscation among adults trying to improve their financial lives and the contingencies at play as a ruse is abandoned in favor of a direct refusal to lend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents data from 40 in-depth interviews that were conducted as part of a study of social capital and health in relation to people's perceptions of the influence of 'place' on their participation levels and health. These data were used to examine features of the western suburbs of Adelaide that were perceived as health damaging and health promoting. The paper demonstrates that our Australian suburban respondents expressed a considerable concern about these features and the impact they have on their perception of community and their ability to participate in it. Safety, connectedness to the area, the reputation of an area and the extent and nature of community facilities are all seen as important to a healthy community. The research found that in the more deprived socioeconomic areas within the study are, there was a significant degree of dissatisfaction with features of the urban environment, such as availability of amenities, provision of public transport, and proximity of industry to private dwellings. The paper concludes by considering certain features of urban environments that might make them more supportive of health through encouraging contact between people. We conclude that these environments could be improved using the following measures: a subsidy scheme to support the viability of local shops and cafés (thereby providing meeting places and employment): parks with facilitators (who could play a role in increasing safety in the park but also encouraging community development): attractive places to walk: and a general environmental improvement program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of village savings and loan association (VSLAs) programmes in several African countries portray these initiatives as spaces that increase financial access for the poor, improve livelihoods, and provide members with social capital. Little is known, however, about their impact beyond increasing financial access. This paper shows that the benefits that accrue (or do not) from membership in VSLAs are mediated through networks of friendships and other social relations that predate the introduction of VSLAs. Based on ethnographic research on VSLAs conducted between 2012 and 2014 in Luwero District, Uganda, this paper examines women's experiences in VSLAs, how social networks influence their decision to join a VSLA, and how VSLAs provide women an opportunity to exercise agency through utilizing their social networks in their community. In this way, they are able to challenge structural barriers to financial autonomy and control at the household level. This research shows that female participants utilize two kinds of networks in VSLA spaces: 'silence-in' and 'silencethrough' networks. The findings underscore the influence of friendships and family relations in shaping the impact of externally initiated microlevel programmes such as VSLAs beyond financial inclusion, livelihood, and poverty reduction. The decision to join a VSLA, the desire for financial autonomy, the struggle against power dynamics, and unintended consequences are all negotiated within the VSLAs space through social networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to develop and empirically test a model which examines the relationships between academics' social capital and their engagement in technology and knowledge transfer via entrepreneurial and traditional activity. Social capital is assessed through individuals' orientation, desire, and willingness to work with others. The data gathered from academics at four different European universities are used to test the proposed relationships by performing structural equation modeling. Overall, our findings reveal that academics' social capital is significantly related to their engagement in technology and knowledge transfer. Being oriented to teamwork stimulates academics' desire to participate in interdisciplinary projects with industry and partially stimulates multidisciplinary research. Both interdisciplinary projects with industry and multidisciplinary research are positively related to industry interactions, which are significantly related to academics' further engagement in patenting, business activity, and scientific publishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the 'third mission' and 'triple helix mission' of universities in Thailand. These functions of universities are often conflated, whereas conceptually they represent separate stages in the evolution of the sphere of knowledge production. The 'third mission' concept is presented as the antecedent to the 'triple helix mission', and involves relationships between institutional spheres, with the boundaries clearly delineated. In the 'triple helix system', institutional spheres converge and boundaries are blurred. The transition from the 'third mission' to the 'triple helix system'-- and the subsequent emergence of entrepreneurial universities--is expedited by the intervention of intermediary organisations that span boundaries and broker between institutional spheres to promote knowledge exchange. Analysis of experience in Thailand shows that the transition from the 'third mission' to the 'triple helix system' has been constrained by limited networking experience and weak social capital among the actors, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initial growth in Internet use in the 1990s resulted in many digital pioneers viewing new information and communication technologies (ICTs) as a means to radically empower people through new global connections and extensive social capital. This has extended into an interest in exploring how ICTs can contribute to international development, and particularly in the field of ICT for development (ICT4D). Evidence from the minority and majority worlds has tempered some of this initial enthusiasm and visions of technological determinism. This article is structured around a piece of coproduced writing to reflect on a project in a deprived neighbourhood in Edinburgh, Scotland, to empower a community through new technology and digital art. The approach involved social history in the form of an archive of images of the neighbourhood, a blog and Facebook page, and a range of physical outputs including social history walking guides and a digital totem pole. The article sets the coproduced paper in the broader literature on ICTs in community development to draw out lessons on the challenges and also the strengths of using novel methods to engage communities. While ICTs cannot develop extensive social capital within deprived neighbourhoods, it was clear that they can offer low-cost ways for institutional social capital to be developed improving partnership working. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strengths-based working (SBW) is being adopted across multiple sectors, but the evidence base for its effectiveness is limited. In this assessment of a social outcomes contract, authors evaluated the impact of SBW on the delivery of homelessness-related outcomes for a high-risk client group. The novel impact evaluation design first identified characteristics in frontline staff associated with SBW and then decoded conjectural causal links between these characteristics and their clients' social outcomes using qualitative comparative analysis. Data were collected from 65 frontline workers, measuring reflective practice, self-efficacy, and innovativeness. Authors found that clients of staff who most strongly exhibited characteristics associated with SBW achieved better long-term outcomes. This article makes four important contributions to our understanding of SBW. First, authors show how it is possible to undertake rigorous impact evaluation of SBW in a complex setting and identify moderately complex causal relations with limited sample size. Second, authors propose and test the presence of key characteristics associated with SBW and, in doing so, contribute to the theoretical understanding of SBW. Third, authors present new evidence on the effectiveness of SBW. Finally, the article demonstrates how social outcomes contracts can provide a framework for testing innovative social interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study asks one crucial question: How do Lebanese women apply available social capital and informal social networks to engage in political activism for women's rights? Building on social- and women's-movement theories, I argue that Lebanese feminists do not exclusively operate in the public sphere in their fight for political goals, nor do they privilege only the extra-family space. On the contrary, they engage in political activities by using extended family networks as a form of weak social ties. I construct this argument on the basis of interviews, observations, and analysis of Lebanese feminists' writings. This paper introduces the concept of mahsoubieh as a form of weak social ties generated within connective family networks. Specifically, I examine how elite, intellectual, and middle-class Lebanese women activists use the positive social capital generated by mahsoubieh to gain credibility, diffuse their political stances, and develop countervailing power. Aspects such as the size, reputation, and respectability of their kinship networks aided the Lebanese women in their fight to change the legal structure concerning women's rights and political representation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Second screening politics is an emerging communication practice for engaging with public affairs content. Scholars are increasingly interested in exploring pro-democratic effects of dual screening during news events and election cycles. This paper examines the potential for second screening practices to develop social capital on social media platforms through online and offline political discussion: a key component of maintaining social resources. More specifically, this manuscript focuses on the development of community-related social capital. Relying on two waves of panel data from 19 countries, the results suggest that dual screening contributes to the proliferation of building social capital on social media over time. This relationship is also partially mediated through online political discussion. Moreover, the between-country variation in the relationship between second screening and social media social capital is related to country-level freedom of expression indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The macroeconomic effects of social capital are typically studied using data at country, region or, at most, province level of aggregation. However, social capital is defined by connections among agents who know each other and its effects, if any, should be detected at a more detailed level of spatial aggregation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study using longitudinal municipality-level data to investigate the causal link between social capital and growth. We extend earlier research by accounting for the endogeneity of all the covariates as well as unobserved heterogeneity. The evidence suggests that social capital has been a source of growth inequality in Italy between 1951 and 2001. The causal effect of social capital on growth is positive, on average, and stronger in the Centre-North of Italy. In addition, it was higher in the 1950s. The paper also presents local estimates of the growth return to social capital, which are of interest for specific sub-populations of municipalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing development inputs like electrical energy is a formidable task in many parts of the developing world. The generally rural nature of developing countries makes it necessary to devise innovative ways of getting electricity to the non-urban majority. It is also imperative that adequate and productive electrical power is made available, for sustainable development to be achieved by rural communities and by extension the national economies. Therefore, institutional and other innovations are being continuously mooted to meet the challenges; and it is in this context that rural electricity co-operatives have been introduced to developing countries. The co-operatives are promoted largely because of their social strengthening characteristics. However, questions arise as to whether social capital upon which the co-operatives are based is a facilitator or an impediment to the co-operatives, and the sustainable development that is ultimately targeted. It is argued in this paper that rather overstretched virtues of social capital mask undesirable elements of the capital. Importantly, organizations like co-operatives that depend on it can fail because of the neglected dark aspects. Empirical evidence from Kenya is used to support the contention. It is concluded that electricity co- operatives could remain a far-fetched possibility, unless desirable and undesirable characteristics of social capital are carefully taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Our paper assesses the relationship between social integration, in terms of social contact and social trust, and one's individual health. While a large body of research already engaged with clarifying this relationship, we know little about the role one's immigration background plays in moderating this relationship. With respect to this, we explicitly focus on how one's immigrant status moderates the relationship between social integration and self-reported health. Previous literature has demonstrably shown that the less socially integrated individuals are, the less likely they are to report good health. Moreover, we know from social capital literature that immigrants have difficulties being socially connected in their host country. Methods With the help of the new MIGHEAL survey, we test this proposed negative relationship. We also compare the results from the MIGHEAL data with findings from the European Social Survey round 7. Our analyses follow a thorough approach testing immigrant background as potential moderating factors. We implement logistic regression models and path analysis to reveal the complex interactive relationship between social integration, immigrant status and self-reported health. Results/Conclusion Our results suggest that immigrant status does play a moderating role in the relationship between social integration and health. This role, however, is limited to the relationship between social activity and self-reported health, which points to a potential endogenous effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With unprecedented numbers of people living longer and with higher expectations of how they will live out their last years, the management of end-of-life (EOL) services is being brought into sharper focus. Current models of EOL care have originated from the hospice and palliative care movement whose expertise, developed largely with cancer patients, is now being looked to for guidance in developing EOL practice for non-cancer dying patients. This paper challenges the social work profession to consider whether the hospice and palliative care model needs to be rethought; argues that social work is well positioned to help develop a more adequate model of care; and recommends a social model that builds upon the resources and networks already surrounding individuals. The social work profession is well placed to draw upon its values, culture and experience (particularly from the service user movement) and to get involved in developing new models of EOL care. This paper argues the benefits of community engagement through network mobilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the application of a network approach within the context of a community development project in suburban Northern Australia which aimed to develop positive social connections across different cultural groups. A neighbourhood group facilitated by a social worker drew upon network approaches to community development and created an ‘umbrella body’ comprising citizens and organisations to work towards the project aims. This paper presents research (pre- and post-project social network analysis and qualitative thematic analysis) that explores some of the impacts of this umbrella body. The social network analysis demonstrates positive changes in terms of developing a larger and more cohesive community network of people and organisations. The thematic analysis shows that organisations benefited from being involved in a range of ways, including networking opportunities, adding value to their existing work and being able to access and work with inspiring ideas from the community. In short, the research highlights the positive differences a small volunteer group can have upon a community when overtly embracing ‘network thinking’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This symposium contains three papers that discuss aspects of social capital. Social capital has become a major focus of research in many social sciences. Its increased prominence in economics reflects a general increase in interest in questions that have traditionally been deemed sociological. Regardless of one’s opinion of social capital per se, this broadening of questions addressed within economics has been very salutary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there is now increasing evidence as to the role played by social factors in contributing to the onset of mental health difficulties, there has been little systematic examination of the role that social factors can play in enabling (or impeding) recovery. This paper provides a review of the emerging international literature in this area, and is linked to a wider conceptual review undertaken as part of a major project researching recovery practice in the UK. Research findings are explored in detail in relation to three areas that had been identified by the wider review as central to recovery: empowerment and control over one's life; connectedness (including both inter-personal relationships and social inclusion); and rebuilding positive identities (often within the context of stigma and discrimination). Out of this emerges a clearer picture of the importance of particular social factors, which starts to define a more broad-based and proactive agenda for mental health social work—with an emphasis not just on working with individuals, but also on engaging with families and communities. However, there is a need for further research and development work in order to determine how to intervene most effectively in order to influence specific social factors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the last few years, there has been a tendency to consider group approach in gender entrepreneurship and the creation of networks among women as an important factor to improve the conditions of rural women and enhance their development. Consequently, elements such as caste, class, ethnic and religious hierarchies that lead to diversities among the different groups of women have been underestimated by the schemes of non-governmental and governmental organizations. This paper examines GMCL (Gram Mooligai Limited Company), an Indian community-based enterprise led by women which is formed by a network of self-help groups. By individuating the main challenges, the paper argues that while the ‘group’ and social forms of entrepreneurship have inherent benefits, it must never be allowed to become the paradigm in developmental policies for women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely recognized that refugee integration occurs most effectively within communities that are rich in inter-cultural social capital. This paper explores the dangers associated with intensely bonded and disconnected communities and the relationship between refugee marginalization and the presence of youth gangs. Drawing upon a small-scale qualitative study with young refugees in Glasgow, it seeks to explore the extent to and ways in which these young people experience social bonding and bridging and participate in gang culture. The findings suggest that excessive bonding social capital often limits opportunities for inter-cultural integration in Glasgow. Gang membership, although driven primarily by territorial issues, provides one site for ethnic solidarity and racial prejudice. The paper considers the potential for community initiatives to build inter-cultural cohesion, and ends by calling for changes to dispersal policy and for further research to explore the most effective vehicles for building social capital in multi-ethnic urban communities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As a result of the increasing number of orphans in sub-Saharan Africa, numerous programmes have been initiated to facilitate the care and support of orphaned and vulnerable children. This paper reports on a community-based capital cash transfer initiative in Kenya and explores its role in building orphan competent and supportive communities through its participatory project cycle. Using a mixture of individual and group interviews, 300 orphaned children and 110 adults involved in this initiative were interviewed using open-ended questions. A thematic analysis of the data revealed that many of the communities participating in this programme had become more united and active in the support of orphaned children following the mobilization of much needed economic, political and social support resources. Despite many difficulties, largely due to the complexity of communities, we conclude that community-based capital cash transfer initiatives can facilitate the building of orphan competent communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At a time of rising stress for communities, families, and individuals coupled with a growing disillusionment with government, the concept of ‘active citizenship’ has arrived as a salve to many of the social ills of our time. Emphasizing citizen's own responsibilities, and espousing values of solidarity, community, and neighbourliness, active citizenship embodies all that is good, rendering it somewhat immune from criticism. While agreeing that community values of solidarity and neighbourliness are indeed critical, this paper takes issue with what it argues is a significant re-visioning of the three core concepts embodied within active citizenship – citizenship, social capital, and community development – and argues that active citizenship, as it is currently promoted by state and select civil society organizations alike, substitutes self-help for redistribution and self-reliance for state accountability, in the process depoliticizing the principles and practice of community development and denying community actors a voice in their own development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In view of the smuggling out of democratic leaders after the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989 and China's resumption of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997, China applied a ‘united front’ tactic to recruit Hong Kong triad societies to the Communist camp. Consequently, triad leaders were able to set foot in China and bridge up with officials and state enterprises. Against this backdrop, this paper argues that when political dynamics is involved, both the traditional structural and social network approaches are insufficient to explain triad-organized crime. Therefore, social capital perspective is proposed. Using two case studies, it was discovered that the triad leaders converted the social capital they developed in mainland China into economic capital through illegitimate means in the stock market. The paper concludes by highlighting the similarities and differences between this triad-organized crime and other forms of Chinese organized crime. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The decentralization process that has been introduced during the last decades in Greece, along with initiatives co-funded by the EU, forms a different context for the Greek society. This provides the ground for an academic and political dialog concerning the ability of local societies to participate in planning and implementing social and local development policies. Focusing on a case study of a small, multicultural municipality in Thrace, Greece, the aim of this paper was to participate in this dialog by presenting it as an example of using techniques and methods of community work, ‘real conditions’ planning, empowering and encouraging community participation in a multicultural region, finding pathways to build on social capital and support local development and thus making the most of EU co-funded projects against social exclusion. The case study was an action research that took place in the context of a PhD thesis2 from October 2005 to December 2006. The paper discusses the role of community work in an effort to identify and confront the problems that were faced by the community. The aim was to set a multicultural and more responsive to the local needs and particularities perspective in the procedure of the local authority policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The changing demographic landscape of the united States calls for a reassessment of the societal impacts and consequences of so- called "natural" and technological disasters. An increasing trend towards greater demographic and socio-economic diversity (in part due to high rates of international immigration), combined with mounting disaster losses, have brought about a more serious focus among scholars on how changing population patterns shape the vulnerability and resiliency of social systems. Recent disasters, such as the lndian Ocean Tsunami (2004) and Hurricane Katrina (2005), point to the differential impacts of disasters on certain communities, particularly those that do not have the necessary resources to cope with and recover from such events. This paper interprets these impacts within the context of economic, cultural, and social capital, as well as broader human ecological forces. The paper also makes important contributions to the social science disaster research literature by examining population growth, composition, and distribution in the context of disaster risk and vulnerability. Population dynamics (e.g., population growth, migration, and urbanization) are perhaps one of the most important factors that have increased our exposure to disasters and have contributed to the devastating impacts of these events, as the case of Hurricane Katrina illustrates. Nevertheless, the scientific literature exploring these issues is quite limited. We argue that if we fail to acknowledge and act on the mounting evidence regarding population composition, migration, inequality, and disaster vulnerability, we will continue to experience disasters with greater regularity and intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper takes a closer look at the importance of fractionalization for the creation of social trust. It first argues that the determinants of trust can be divided into two categories: those affecting individuals' trust radii and those affecting social polarization. A series of estimates using a much larger country sample than in previous literature confirms that fractionalization in the form of income inequality and political diversity adversely affects social trust while ethnic diversity does not. However, these effects differ systematically across countries, questioning standard interpretations of the influence of fractionalization on trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of health-seeking behaviour continues to permeate the development literature, and this paper reviews the main approaches. However, it also suggests that health-seeking behaviour is a somewhat over-utilized and under-theorized tool. Although it remains a valid tool for rapid appraisal of a particular issue at a particular time, it is of little use as it stands to explore the wider relationship between populations and health systems development. If we wish to move the debate into new and more fruitful arenas, we need to develop a tool for understanding how populations engage with health systems, rather than using health-seeking behaviour as a tool for describing how individuals engage with services. The paper suggests one way in which we might start to frame the debate, using reflexive communities and social capital as key theoretical and analytical concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically examines the way in which empirical evidence is developed in support of a role for social capital in socioeconomic outcomes. Three leading studies of social capital are reviewed and in each case argued to suffer from various identification problems. A general set of conditions under which social capital effects may be identified in linear models is given. Careful attention to these conditions combined with greater openmindedness as to what constitutes appropriate evidence seems the best route to improving empirical studies of social capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing recognition of social capital as a resource which can both facilitate and constrain social action. Focussing on a North Indian village community in its historical context, the paper examines the processes of social capital formation, impact of changes in macro-structure on social capital and its role in development. The paper finds that processes of change exert opposing pressures on social capital some strengthening and others eroding it. An important observation is that formal institutions, if in conflict with informal institutions, would severely constrain collective action. It seems possible, however, to design a purposive action to make the relationship between the two types of institutions complementary and synergetic to harness social energy for development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]