|
This forum celebrates of all the various organizations, groups and associations that promote a vibrant, diverse, engaged and healthy Mariposa. The goal is to strengthen the economic, cultural, ascetic, and caring aspects of Mariposa. The strategy is to increase the SOCIAL CAPITAL within Mariposa by supporting existing groups and by helping birth new groups and organizations. The question is "What can we do as a community do to strengthen our community?" Are you are interested in getting involved with creating a "Community Asset Map" for Mariposa?
What's an Asset Map? Brief Comprehensive
Let us know what you think. Post a comment or send an email to admin@btmariposa.org
|
The idea behind this forum is that community groups and voluntary associations are vital not only to the character and moral health of the community, but also to its long term economic and cultural health. It is through familial, neighborly, and civic organizations that social capital is cultivated AND it is through social capital that healthy communities are strengthen and preserved.
Social capital has been defined as the sum of our "social connectedness" and our shared norms and values. The decline in social capital was eloquently set out by Robert Putnam in his seminal book "Bowling Alone and the Collapse and Revival of American Community" (2000).
Within our community, we can recognize four types of capital:
- Fixed capital - buildings, plant and machinery
- Environmental capital - natural resources such as open spaces and other community amenities.
- Human capital - the sum of the health, skills, knowledge and community governance in an area.
- Social capital - the sum of interpersonal connectiveness and civic engagement based on collective identity, civility, mutual trust and support. Some would call it neighborliness.
|
Social capital is like a lubricant that holds the other forms of capital together and keeps them moving. Without it the other forms of capital cannot attain their full potential. Professor Putnam in this work in Bowling Alone and at BetterTogether.org has shown that neighborhoods with high levels of social capital, will have higher levels of educational attainment, be more economically successful, suffer less from crime, and its people will be healthier and happier. Recent studies has showed that quality of life and happiness was highest in socially connected communities and that levels of civic engagement - how much residents trusted others, socialized with others, and joined with others, among other measures - predicted the quality of community life and residents' happiness far better than levels of community education or income.
| Social capital and civic engagement principles:
1. The strength of the community is found in the community.
2. There are many types of communities (social groups and social network) that positively contribute to the social capital for the general community.
3. Promotion of natural and community support networks and the cultivation of social capital and civic engagement is a key component in promoting the health and wellbeing for the entire community | |
|
SOCIAL CAPITAL PRIMER
The central premise of social capital is that social networks have value. Social capital refers to the collective value of all "social networks" [who people know] and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other ["norms of reciprocity"].
How does social capital work?
The term social capital emphasizes not just warm and cuddly feelings, but a wide variety of quite specific benefits that flow from the trust, reciprocity, information, and cooperation associated with social networks. Social capital creates value for the people who are connected and - at least sometimes - for bystanders as well.
Social capital works through multiple channels:
-
Information flows (e.g. learning about jobs, learning about candidates running for office, exchanging ideas at college, etc.) depend on social capital.
-
Norms of reciprocity (mutual aid) rely on social networks. Bonding networks that connect folks who are similar sustain particularized (in-group) reciprocity. Bridging networks that connect individuals who are diverse sustain generalized reciprocity.
-
Collective action depends upon social networks (e.g ., the role that the black church played in the civic rights movement) although collective action also can foster new networks.
-
Broader identities and solidarity are encouraged by social networks that help translate an "I" mentality into a "we" mentality. | |
