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Social Capital/Participation/Cohesion

Social Capital/Participation/Cohesion. Community Indicators. Social capital, participation, cohesion. Tremendous growth in interest since 1990s Inter-related but each have own meanings Multi-dimensional many components and measures both objective and subjective measures

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Social Capital/Participation/Cohesion

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  1. Social Capital/Participation/Cohesion Community Indicators

  2. Social capital, participation, cohesion • Tremendous growth in interest since 1990s • Inter-related but each have own meanings • Multi-dimensional • many components and measures • both objective and subjective measures • many types of networks (or communities) of interest • No widely accepted headline or summary indicators • Data development activities are relatively recent • Concerns that measurement activities have rushed ahead of theory because the conceptual basis remains too weak for measures to be useful. • Nonetheless a feeling that SC is important contributor to shaping wellbeing outcomes

  3. Social capital, participation, cohesion • ABS SC framework has defined key elements and provided a list of possible indicators • Still grappling with some of the concepts and uses to be made of the data • search for salient indicators to measure progress • identify advantaged/disadvantaged groups/areas • evidence base to support and evaluate social capital related initiatives • Wide interest in small area data (regions/neighbourhoods) but what specifically and how will data be used? • Need to deepen understanding (PC 2003, BTRE 2005) • Need in depth analysis of emerging data sets and user consultation on the results to determine most relevant measures/indicators

  4. What is Social capital? • Relates to: • resources available within communities in networks of mutual support, reciprocity and trust. • and is a factor affecting • individual/community wellbeing and 'community strength' (along with natural capital, human capital, produced economic capital). • OECD definition: • "networks, together with shared norms, values and understandings which faciliate cooperation within or among groups"

  5. COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND OUTCOMES Natural Capital Produced Economic Capital Social Capital Human Capital Culture, and political, legal and institutional context Positive and/or negative effects on Areas of individual and community wellbeing

  6. SOCIAL CAPITAL Major Elements in the context of CULTURE AND POLITICAL, LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL CONDITIONS Political conditions Culture Networks Network type Actors, Relating units Network transactions Network qualities Network structure Institutional conditions Legal conditions Positive effects Negative effects

  7. Social Participation • Narrow usage • refers to socialising, participating with others in activities enjoyed and valued for their own sake • Broad usage • effective engagement in all aspects of life appropriate to ones life stage • (eg family life and early childhhood development, education, employment, involvement in interest groups and recreation and leisure activties) • an aspect of human rights i.e. to have the same opportunity to meaningfully do things accepted as being normal for community members • the anthithesis of 'social exclusion' (ie people not able to participate adequately) • Recognised in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as a key dimension of human functioning (WHO, 2002) • Beneficial to personal development and wellbeing • Beneficial to community safety and strength

  8. Social Participation (measurement) • Given its concern with networks, 'social capital' embraces the notion of social participation in all of its many forms: • eg participation in social groups, civic participation, community support groups, attending sporting and cultural venues and events as well as education and work • Commonly measured through participation rates (whether involved in particular activities within a given reference period or not). • But data says little about quality of interactions (+ve or -ve) • Time Use Surveys also measure intensity of involvement (hours) • Some collections provide data concerning barriers to social participation (eg 2006 GSS education barriers) and/or data (such as ethnicity, language proficiency) from which disadvantage or discrimination might be inferred.

  9. Social cohesion • Concept still undergoing development • Berger-Schmidt and Noll (2000) two dimensions of social development: • reduction of disparities, inequalities, breaks and cleavages • strenghtening social connections, ties and commitments to a community • Beavas and Jenson (2002) five main elements • Common values and civic nature • Social order and social control • Social solidarity and reductions in wealth disparities • Social networks and social capital • Territorial belonging and identity • AIHW (2003) a component of welfare, elements include: • Family formation and functioning • Social and support networks • Trust • Community and civic engagement

  10. Social cohesion (ABS measurements) • In 'Measuring Australia's Progress (MAP)' • associated with nature of personal family/ community connections/social participation i.e. the social capital dimension • eg contact with family and friends (bonding networks), level of social participation, church attendance, volunteering, feelings of safety • breakdown of social cohesion measured by indicators of weakened social bonds i.e. those resulting in homelessness, suicide and drug-induced deaths • MAP also discussed conflict between people and groups as an indicator of a breakdown in social cohesion and the prevalence of racism but noted that there has been no systematic basis for measurement

  11. Policy interests • Many portfolio areas • health, education, employment, families and childhood development, rural and regional development, crime and justice, arts, sports and recreation • strong interest in understanding potential links between social capital and outcomes in many areas of wellbeing • means to support development of place-based communities • All levels of government • Federal, State/Territory, Local government • Also businesses, welfare and community groups • Apparent in high level strategy statements • Stronger Families and Communities Strategy, 2000 • National agenda for early childhood (developing supportive communities for children) • Stronger Regions, A Stronger Australia (Policy statement), 2001 • Growing Victoria Together, refreshed 2005 • Tasmania Together, refreshed 2005

  12. ABS Work on Social Capital • Social Capital and Social Wellbeing (Discussion paper) • Framework and Indicators (Information paper) • Measuring Social Capital: an Australian Framework and Indicators, 2002 • Presenting available indicators • Measuring Australia's Progress • Aspects of Social Capital, Australia, 2006 (Cat. No. 4911.0) • data from ABS sources • 2002 General Soclal Survey, Time Use Survey, Census of Population and Housing • Voluntary Work, Disability, Ageing and Carers, Sports participation • Question development and data collection • 2002 General Social Survey • 2006 General Social Survey • Supporting use of questions in other collections • LSAY, ACT Government Survey, New Zealand GSS, AIFS (LSAC) • Supporting data development to meet State needs

  13. New ABS data on the horizon • 2006 GSS (Nat, S/T and other broad area) • New social capital component • Voluntary work survey (repeat of 2000) • 2006 Time Use Survey (Nat, S/T and some other broad area) • Update data from 1992 and 1997 • Various measures of social participation • Generalised trust • 2006 Census (Nat, and small area data by area of choice) • Voluntary work • Providing care for children (own and others), and • Providing care for others with caring needs

  14. 2006 General Social Survey (GSS) Social capital componentS • Repeat of 2002 GSS SC related questions • Recent contact with family and friends • Feelings of safety at home alone • Support with small favours • Support in a time of crisis • New questions covering a range of framework elements • Frequency, quality, diversity of personal relationships • Both generalised and institutional trust • in doctors and hospitals & police in local area and other areas • Active group participation (formal and informal) -various kinds • Participation and proactivity in community events and civic activities, and knowing people in formal positions • Informal caring and helping/expectation of support • Sense of efficacy: able to have a say about things important • among family and friends + in the wider community

  15. Meeting needs for small areas? Data Sources • Census data • employment, voluntary work, mobility, caring • Administrative data • homelessness, suicide and drug-related death rates, crime and imprisonment rates, trade union membership • National surveys • provide benchmarks to support smaller area studies • State surveys • see examples next page • Community level studies • the Dept. of Victorian Communities provides community-level data (n=300 per neighbourhood) for 18 metropolitan suburbs and one country town in Victoria. To be updated in 2007.

  16. Various non-ABS collections • National • Survey of Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia( HILDA) • Families, Social Capital & Citizenship Survey in 2001 (AIFS). • Longitudinal Survey of Australian Youth (LSAY), conducted by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training • State • In Victoria, the Dept for Vic. Communties has been conducting a state-wide social capital survey annually since 2001, with sample sizes of 7,500 per year. ie 'Indicators of Community Strength' as part of the Victorian Population Health Survey • In NSW the Department of Health's continuous NSW Adult Health Survey has included a social capital section in 2002, 2003 and 2005. Each year over 15,000 respondents are interviewed. • WA Health (2000), Queensland Health (2002) and Tasmanian Department of Health (2002) have each commissioned one-off state-wide surveys with large sample sizes to measure social capital.

  17. International happenings • Multilateral agencies • World Bank, OECD • International surveys • World Values Survey (WVS) • International Social Survey Program(ISSP) • International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) • Consortium of Universities in Europe - annual survey on social cohesion and values • Other national statistical offices active in measuring aspects of social capital • Statistics Canada - Community Engagement Survey, GSS, 2003 • UK ONS - General Household Survey 2004/05 • Statistics Sweden • Statistics Finland • Statisics New Zealand - Upcoming GSS

  18. For more information • See Social Capital theme page, accessed through • www.abs.gov.au • See ABS publications • Measuring Social Capital: An Australian Framework and Indicators (cat no 1378.0) • Aspects of Social Capital, Australia 2006, (cat no 4911.0)

  19. Contacts • Horst Posselt • Director • Family and Community Statistics Section • 02 6252 6316 • horst.posselt@abs.gov.au • Elisabeth Davis • Assistant Director • Social Capital Project • 02 6252 7880 • elisabeth.davis@abs.gov.au

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