Social Capital, Social Agency and Sustainability

Social Capital, Social Agency and Sustainability Chris Ling Ann Dale: Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Community Development Royal Roads University

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

Social capital? • Reciprocity • Trust • Networks • Bonding • Strong • Weak • Bridging

Measuring Social Capital What are the social parameters that impact social capital? Onyx, J. and Bullen, P, 2000

Measuring Social Capital • What doesn’t seem to be important: • Political position and faith in federal Government • Contractual arrangements (general trust is much more significant) • The position of the individual without consideration of the social context. Onyx, J. and Bullen, P, 2000

Measuring Social Capital • What is important: • Participation – involvement in community activities • Trust and Safety – do people trust their neighbours, do they feel safe on their streets? • Connections – Neighbourhoods (casual contacts), Families and Friends (more intimate contacts), Work (feeling part of a team) • Tolerance of Diversity – a feeling that variety enhances rather than detract from life • Value of Life – Am I valued by my community? Onyx, J. and Bullen, P, 2000

Measuring Social Capital • AND MOST IMPORTANT • Social Agency – a sense of personal and collective efficacy • I and my community CAN make a difference

Social Agency – key questions • Are agency, social capital and sustainable community development related to each other? • Can agency be measured? • Are there key actors or connectors who facilitate bridging and networking? • How do they perceive their role in the network? • What are the patterns of leadership and are they critical to bridging and vertical capital? • Does membership in overlapping networks give greater agency to a community?

How are Canadian communities doing? Survey examining the connections between liveability, social capital, agency and sustainable communities

Who is answering our survey? Broad age range Gender bias towards women 15-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 >55 Higher than average education High Post-high Degree Post-grad

Who is answering our survey? Total approx 2500 respondents Higher than average income Huge geographic spread – every corner of Canada, all provinces, all major centers Fair split between urban and rural Rural Semi-rural Suburban Urban

Are our communities accessible? Bicycle Walk Public Transit N/A < 15 mins. to 1 hr. 3 hrs. > 3 hrs. 2 hrs. N/A < 15 mins. to 1 hr. 3 hrs. > 3 hrs. 2 hrs. Drive Carpool N/A < 15 mins. to 1 hr. 3 hrs. > 3 hrs. 2 hrs. People will walk if they can

Are our communities accessible? Locations Walked at Least Once/Week Percent * Multiple choices permitted Response

Are our communities accessible? Locations Walked at Least Once/Week Rural POs – vital part of the social infrastructure Percent

Are our communities accessible? Locations we have access to in our community Percent

Are our communities accessible? Accessibility of Public Transit Polarised opinions – transit is either good or bad 31.1% 25.5% 16.3% Frequency 13.5% 7.6% 1.6% Strongly Agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly Disagree Don’t Know Response

Are our communities safe? Perceived Safety of Neighbourhood 54.7% 31.9% Frequency 7.8% 3.4% 0.4% Strongly Agree Agree Neither Disagree Strongly Disagree Response

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

Are our communities safe? Main Safety Concerns Percent Response Reality divorced from perception – crime, especially violent crime is decreasing – potential for problems from pollution and traffic accidents is increasing – and higher than crime

Sense of belonging - trust and networks? volunteer services litter help trust connected Feeling connected Feeling connected Trust in service and infrastructure Pick up litter Helping others = helping yourself Most people can be trusted Aware of volunteer opportunities

Do we feel part of our communities? Generally yes – but less so the more urban you are

Do you trust your services and infrastructure? Generally yes – Canadian communities have a high level of trust

Do you trust other people? Generally yes – Canadian communities have a high level of trust

Social networks? People are engaged socially – but not necessarily formally Social engagements Organised sports Often Sometimes Rarely Never 0 1 2-3 3-5 >5 Organised religion We are sociable creatures, but religion increasingly not important for developing them Often Sometimes Rarely Never

Social networks? How often do you run into friends whilst shopping? Often Sometimes Rarely Never The limited services of rural areas mean casual acquaintance is more common – is this linked to trust and safety? Often Sometimes Rarely Never

Value and belonging It is family and friends that people turn to

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

Action! Have you ever initiated a community-based response to an emerging issue in your neighbourhood? Have you taken part in a Community project in the last three years? Canadians are engaged in their communities to a high degree -

Action! Involvement in collective action, e.g. writing a letter of protest, march or demonstration? Often Sometimes Rarely Never Often Sometimes Rarely Never But perhaps more so in rural areas? Often Sometimes Rarely Never Often Sometimes Rarely Never

Case studies • Community response to watershed logging – Salt spring Island • United We Can – Downtown Eastside Vancouver

Salt Spring Island Residents of Salt Spring Island acted to protect an area of forest watershed that was being clear cut by a small private logging company. Aerial photo, Mt. Tuam, July 2000. Photo: Osman Phillips

Salt Spring Island Social Capital: Photo from the ‘Salt Spring Women Preserve and Protect' calendar 2001 • Many groups linked together – combination of weak and strong bonds. • Some key individuals (leaders) bringing groups together – bridging.

Salt Spring Island Social Agency: • Variety of tactics reflecting different groups • Raised publicity • Gained support of more formal organisations from elsewhere • Resulted in increased capacity for the community to act www.amnestyusa.org

Salt Spring Island Sustainable Community Development: • 665 ha of land purchased • Watershed and rare ecosystem protection • Protection of natural and cultural capital

United We Can: Downtown Eastside Vancouver In 5 years a group of binners developed a $1.6 million pa revenue recycling business. Employing 33 full-time previously unemployed people and has contact with 700-750 street people a day Photo: United We Can

United We Can: Downtown Eastside Vancouver Social Capital: • Key individuals with strong social bonds came together to start the creation of a network. • The bridging capital between the strong network and the wider population leads to the success. • Social capital allowed the leverage and exploitation of municipal and provincial resources and grants Ken Lyotier – CEO United we Can

United We Can: Downtown Eastside Vancouver Social Agency: • Formalized previously existing activity • Community led and driven • Strong belief in the possibility of change Ken Lyotier – CEO United we Can

United We Can: Downtown Eastside Vancouver Sustainable Community Development: • 50,000 bottles a day are recycled that would otherwise be land filled • Giving hundreds of marginalized people a legitimate economic outlet • Provides a network, sense of community and safe environment for personal recovery of mental and physical well-being Photo: United We Can

Social Capital, Social Agency and Sustainability