Social Capital in Tung Chung Community

1. H.K. S.K.H. Tung Chung Integrated Services Social Capital in Tung Chung Community Presented by Crystal Cheng Date : 8/3/2002

2. Content • A case study • Features of Tung Chung • Meaning of social capital • Social capital and a caring community • Reflection

3. A Case • Positive change in the process • From helpee to helper • From self-help to mutual help • From individual to community level

4. Features of Tung Chung Community • Established and occupied in July, 1997 • Population of around 22,000 with majority of which are young nuclear families • Situated close to the Airport and isolated from the urban areas • Most of the inhabitants working at the Airport • Lack of recreational and leisure facilities • Not enough job opportunities • Comprehensive transportation network but expensive travelling cost • Well provision of kindergartens, primary and secondary schools but under-enrolment

5. TCIS • To Build a caring community Vision Mission • ‘Individual Caring and Overall Concern’

6. Definition of social capital • Woolcock (1998): • “Social capital as encompassing the norms and networks facilitating collective action for mutual benefit” • Adler & Kwon (1999) • “Social capital is a resource for individual and collective actors located in the network of their more or less durable social relations”

7. Meaning of social capital • Core elements • trust, cooperation, mutual benefit, reciprocity, social network • a resource and can be invested with an expectation of future returns

8. Social capital and a caring community Vision for a caring community(桃花園-安居樂業) – shared common belief, value, interest and concern so as to increase the community cohesion

9. Strategies • Social networking • geographic social capital network • multi-level and multi-entry • Types: • Personal network • Neighbouhood helping network • Volunteer network e.g. from aged 5 to 76 • Mutual aid network e.g. unemployment • Community empowerment networks e.g. MAC • Home-school-community

10. Impact to Tung Chung Community ↓transaction cost ↓social cost ↑responsiveness to community needs and resource return of investment of social capital ↑sense of belonging social cohesion

11. Indicators • ↑rate of volunteer • ↑rate of acceptance of disadvantage groups e.g. MR, differential cultural minority groups etc. • ↑employment rate • ↓crime rate • ↓school drop-out rate

12. Reflection • seems to be “an old wine in a new bottle” • compatible with the vision, mission and service delivery model of our integrated services • as a popular concept under the present economic depression and social unstable circumstances • match with Government policy in promoting social cohesion so as to build a caring and compassionate society (Community Investment and Inclusion Fund) • stimulate to have systematic further exploration on social capital in Tung Chung

13. Thank You!