Chapter Five: Social Capital and Collective Action PDF

Chapter five Social capital and collective actions theories and practices By Shimelis.M  Cont.… 5.1 The concept of social capital  Social capital refers to the networks, relationships and resource that an individuals or groups have within a social structure....

Chapter five Social capital and collective actions theories and practices By Shimelis.M  Cont.… 5.1 The concept of social capital  Social capital refers to the networks, relationships and resource that an individuals or groups have within a social structure.  It involves social connections, trust, reciprocity and norms of cooperation that exist in a society or a community.  Cont.. Social capital refers to the resource embedded within social networks, such as trust, reciprocity and social connection that individuals and communities can draw up on for mutual benefit. It is the quality and quantity of relationships and social interaction that exist within a society or community.  Cont.. Think of social capital as the’ glue’ that holds a community together and enables its members to achieve the common goal. Here are some key definitions and concepts related to social capital A) Social networks: these are the relationships and connections between individuals or groups, ranging from family and close friends to acquaintances and professional contacts.  Cont.. Strong and diverse social networks are essential for the development of social capital B) Trust: it is crucial component of social capital.  It involves having confidence and belief in the integrity, reliability and intension of others within a social network.  Cont. Trust enables cooperation and collaboration, contributing to the overall wellbeing of individuals and community. C) Reciprocity: refers to the mutual exchange of benefits and support within a social network.  It involves individual helping and supporting each others with the expectation of future assistance or support in return.  Cont.. Reciprocity strengthen social capital by fostering cooperation and building trust. D) Social cohesion: it refers to the degree of interconnectedness, solidarity and sense of belonging with a community.  It is a measure of how well individuals and groups within a community come together, support each other and shares common goals and values  Cont.. E) Collective action: it refers to voluntary participation of individuals within a community to achieve common goal and addresses shared concerns.  It involves collaboration, coordination and cooperation among community member which can be facilitated by social capital.  Cont.. F) Civic engagement: refers to the active involvement of the individuals in the community affairs ,such as voting, volunteering and participating in community organizations or initiatives.  Social capital play a crucial role in promoting civic engagement by providing the necessary network, trust and support for collective actions  Cont.. By understanding and harnessing social capital, individuals and communities can benefit from increased social support, collective action and improved overall wellbeing It foster strongest relationships and collaboration facilitates resource sharing and contributes to the social, economic and political development of communities.  Cont.. 5.2. Main types of social capital  There are three main types of social capital, each type emphasize different aspects of social connection and networks.  Here is an explanation of each type along with a corresponding example. 1. Bonding social capital: refers to connection and relationship among individuals who share similar identity, background or interests.  Cont.. It is characterized by strong ties within a homogeneous group. Bonding social capital fosters a sense of belonging, solidarity and support within the group. Example: close knit group of friends or tight knit families that provides emotional support to its members.  Cont... 2. Bridging social capital: refers to connection and relationship between individuals who are diverse interest of backgrounds, identities, or interests.  It involves interactions across different social groups, promoting diversity, inclusivity, and the exchange of divers perspectives and resources.  It helps individuals to expand their networks beyond their immediate circles.  Cont.. Example: a community center that brings together people from different neighborhoods or a work place where colleagues from various department cooperate on projects. 3. Linking social capital: it refers to the connection and relationship between individuals or groups with disparate levels of power or social status.  Cont..  It involves connections between individuals or groups in position of authority or influence and those who lack resource or opportunities  Linking social capital enables those with fewer resources to access and navigate systems and institutions through the help of influential connections.  Cont.. Example: a mentor who support and guides a mentee, opening doors to educational or carrier opportunities that the mentee would not have access to otherwise These different types of social capital are not mutually exclusive but rather exist on a continuum. They can co exist and complement each other in strengthening social networks and community development.  cont.. 5.3. Structural versus cognitive social capital  When discussing social capital it is common to distinguish between structural social capital and cognitive social capital.  These two concepts focus on different aspects of social connections and networks. 1. Structural social capital: it refers to the tangible and observable aspects of social network.  Cont.. It emphasis the pattern and arrangement of social relationships, such as the size, density and diversity of connection within a community or group. Structural social capital focus on the external resource and opportunities that are made available through social connections. It can be measured through indicators, like  Cont..  The number of social ties ,the frequency of interactions and the level of trust within a network.  Example: a community with a high level of structural social capital might have densely connected social networks, where individuals have many friends and professional contacts.  Cont..  This dens network can lead easier access to information, resource and opportunities as well as a greater sense of social support and cooperation. 2. Cognitive social capital: it also known as bonding social capital, referred to the shared values, norms, and belief that contribute to social cohesion and collective action within a group or a community.  Cont.. It emphasis the intangible aspect of social networks, such as shared understandings ,trust, reciprocity. Cognitive social capital focus on the internal resource and capacities that are fostered through social connection. It can be measured through indicators like trust level, shared norms and values and a sense of collective identity.  Cont..  Example: a community with a high level of cognitive social capital might have a strong sense of trust, cooperation and shared values among its members.  There is a shared understanding of collective goals and a willingness to collaborate and support each other.  This strong cognitive social capital can leads to effective collective actions, problem solving and community resilience.  Cont..  While structural and cognitive social capital are distinct concepts, they are interconnected and influence each other.  A strong structural social capital, with dense and divers networks can provide a foundation for the development of cognitive social capital by facilitating interaction, trust building and the sharing of norms and values.  Cont.. At the same time, cognitive social capital can shape the pattern and dynamics of structural social capital by influencing the nature and quality of social connection. The presence of both types social capital is beneficial for individuals and communities, fostering social cohesion, collective action and overall community wellbeing.  Cont.. When discussing social capital, another important dimension to consider is embeddedness versus autonomy of social capital. These concepts reflect the level of interconnectedness and dependence that individual or group have within their social networks.  Cont.… 1. Embeddedness of social capital: it refers to the extent to which an individual’s or group’s social capital is deeply integrated within their social network or community.  Embedded social capital emphasis strong ties, close relationship and a high level of interdependency among network members.  Cont.. These close connections provide a sense of belonging, support and trust, but they can also restrict access to resource and opportunities outside the network. Example: a tightly knit community where individuals have close relationships and rely heavily on each other for support, information and resource represents an embedded social capital.  Cont.… The social capital within this community are strong and individuals are deeply embedded in the social fabric of the community. 2. Autonomy of social capital: autonomy refers to the independency and agency that an individual or group have within their social networks.  Cont.. Autonomous social capital emphasis weak ties, divers relationships, and high level of independency and self reliance. These weak ties enable access to divers information, resource and opportunities beyond one’s immediate network. Example: a person who maintain connection with various social groups, professional network or online community represent an autonomous social capital.  Cont.  They have a broad range of connection and access to different resource and support systems. These divers connections allow for the flows of information and resource that may not be available within a single, tightly knit network.  Embeddedness and autonomy are not mutually exclusive but rather exist on a continuum.  Cont.. Some social networks may have a balance of both embedded and autonomous social capital. However, the emphasis on one or the other can have implication for individuals or groups in terms of the support, resource and opportunities they can access. A high level of embeddedness can provide a strong support system, fostering solidarity, trust and cooperation.. cont.. However, it may limit exposure to new ideas and opportunities outside the network. on the other hand, a high level of autonomy allows for diverse connections, access to a range of perspectives and resources and increased adaptability. However, it may result in weaker social ties and less cohesive communities.  Cont.. Understanding the balance between embeddednes and autonomy is crucial for individuals and communities to leverage the benefit of social capital effectively. Maintaining a mix of strong close relationship along with diverse, weak ties can provide robust social capital that combines support trust and access to a broader array of resources and opportunities.  5.4. Definition and concept of collective action Collective action refers to the coordinated efforts and action taken by individuals or organization to pursue common goals or addresses shared concerns. It involves people coming together to work collaboratively to wards the desired outcome, often in the realm of social, political or economic changes.  Cont. Collective action is rooted in the principle that people can achieve grater impact and influence when they act collectively compared to when they act individually. Key elements of collective action includes: 1. Common goals: collective action typically revolves around a shared a shared purpose or set of objectives that all participants agree up on.  Cont.. This common ground provides a unifying force that motivates individuals to collaborate and work towards a common outcome. 2. Group formation: collective action bring together individuals who share a common interest concern or identity. This can happen through formal organizations, grassroots movements, online communities or informal networks. The creation of a group provides a platform for communication, organizations and collective decision making.  Cont.. 3. mobilization: mobilization refers to the process of bringing individuals and activating their participation in the collective action.  It involves raising awareness, recruiting supporters and encourages active engagement in pursuit of the common goals.  Cont.. Mobilization techniques can includes rallies, protests, petitions ,social media campaigns or community organizing. 4. Cooperation and coordination: successful collective action requires cooperation and coordination among participants. This involves establishing effective communication channels, sharing information, assessing tasks and pooling resources,  Cont.… Cooperation ensure that efforts are aligned, duplications are minimized, diverse skills and perspectives are utilized. 5. Power and influence: collective action seeks to leverage the power and influence of a united group to bring about change. By acting together, individuals and organizations can enhance their ability to shape public opinion, influence policy decision and challenge existing system.  Cont.. 6. Sustaining momentum: maintain sustained momentum is crucial for successful collective action.  This involving not only achieving initial goals but also sustaining the engagement and commitments of participants over time.  Effective leadership, ongoing communication, nurturing relationship and ongoing mobilization efforts are important in keeping the collective actions alive and making long lasting impacts.  Cont.. Collective action can take various forms, ranging from peaceful protests to community initiatives, advocacy campaign, social movement or cooperative ventures. It has been instrumental in deriving social change, promoting human rights, advocating for policy reforms, advancing environmental causes and addressing systematical inequalities.  Con.. By bringing people together, around a shared purpose, collective action empowers individuals to have a greater impact and create positive change in society.  5.5.Theories of collective action Several theories have been developed to explain the motivation and dynamics behind collective action. Let us explore some of these theories as follows. 1. Social identity theory: social identity theory suggests that individual’s actions are influenced by their group identities and the desire for positive social identity.  Cont.. People are more likely to engage collective action when they identify strongly with a group and perceive a threat or injustice that affects their group. Example:an example of collective action based on social identity theory is; Imagine, a group of factory workers who are facing unsafe working conditions and low wages.  Cont.. They identify as a united work force and form a labor union to negotiate better working condition and fair compensation. The collective action of going on strike or organizing protests is motivated by their shared identity and desire to improve their situation as a group.  Cont.. 2. Resource mobilization theory: it emphasis the importance of resource, such as money, skills, networks and organizational capacity, in deriving collective action.  It suggest that successful collective action requires effective mobilization and allocation of resources.  An example of collective action based on resource mobilization theory is:  Cont.. Consider, a community organizing a fundraising campaign to build a neighborhood play ground. The organizer developed comprehensive plan, mobilize community members’ skills and labor, seek financial contribution from local business and gather support from influential individuals or organizations.  Cont.. Through their coordinate efforts and resource mobilization, they successfully raise funds, acquire construction materials and build the playground for the benefit of the entire community. 3. Political process theory: it propose that collective action is influenced by political opportunities, such as policy changes social movements, or shifts in power dynamics.  Cont.. It suggest that favorable political context can increase the likelihood of collective action. An example of collective action based on political process theory is: Imagine a civil rights movement aiming to bring about legal and social changes to combat racial discrimination. The movement gain traction during a time when public sentiment regarding racial equality is shifting and there is a favorable political climate for reforms.  Cont. Through protests, advocacy campaign and organized demonstration, individuals and groups come together to exert pressure on policy makers, leading to changes in legislation and social norms. These theories provide different perspective on the motivations, dynamics and conditions that influence collective actions.  5.6. The role of social capital on collective actions Social capital plays a crucial role in facilitating and shaping collective actions. It provides the necessary resources, trust and social connections that enable individuals or groups to come together, collaborate and achieve shared goals. Here is an explanation of the role of social capital on in collective action.  Cont.. 1. Facilitating cooperation and collaboration:  Social capital builds trust, norms of reciprocity, and cooperation among individuals or groups.  It creates a sense of community and shared identity, reducing transaction cost and enabling collective action to take place.  Cont.… Trust and cooperation are vital for individual to pool their resource, share information and work together effectively. Suppose a group of farmers in rural community faces common challenge of shortage water for irrigation. Through regular interaction and shared experiences, they have develop strong social ties and trust.  Cont.. Leveraging their social capital, they decide to form a collective water management committee. Member contribute funds, share knowledge about efficient irrigation techniques and collectively invest in sustainable water supply system. Their strong social capital facilitates cooperation and collaboration leading to successful collective action to address the shortage of water problem.  Cont.. 2. Accesses to resource and information: social capital connects individuals and groups to valuable resources, such as expertise, finance, networks and information. Through their social networks, individual can tap in to knowledge, skills and support of others, thus enhancing their collective capacity for action.  Cont.. Example: in a community facing environmental degradation due to illegal waste disposal, concerned residents with high level social capital come together to address the issue. They leverage their connection with local environmental organizations, government officials' and relevant experts to gain accesses to technical support, funding sources and legal advices.  Cont.. With this social capital, they are able to effectively advocate for stricter waste management regulation, organize clean up activities and raise awareness in the community. 3. Amplifying collective voice: social capital amplifies the collective voice of individuals or groups, increasing their influence and ability to create change.  Cont.. By mobilizing social networks ,collective action can attract attention, gain public support and exert pressure on decision makers or institutions. Example: imagine a group of students passionate about environmental sustainability committing to organize a climate strike at their university. Through their strong social ties with classmates, student organization and influential facility members they  Cont.. Mobilize a significant numbers of participants and garner media attention. Their social capital enable them to amplify their collective voice, drawing attention to climate change issues, influencing university policies and inspiring broader action within the community. The end