More spray on solution: Community, social capital and evidence based policy

Abstract

The role for government in generating social capital is to create the opportunities for individuals to establish relationships and shared values; that is, to facilitate the creation of networks. The site for network creation is the local community, and community strengthening is the means to do so.

Inner Wheel or Inner Sanctum

“…They might also be less tempted by 'spray on solutions' (Bryson and Mowbray 2005) advocating community capacity building. Instead, they might examine social policy proposals aimed at redressing issues of gender inequality.…”

Telling It All

“…As Bryson and Mowbray (2005) noted, a very White, middle-class notion of community dominates discussions of social capital. Conflict and exclusion from participation is rarely considered.…”

A Review of Third Sector Research in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand: 1990-2016

“…The exception to this is Boudieu who argued that social capital, in the form of "old boys networks" simply reinforces existing class relations. It was argued that social capital should not be presented as a kind of "spray on" solution to economic, environmental or social problems (Bryson and Mowbray, 2005). A political economy must be included in any analysis (Fine, 2001).…”

“…Social capital can be and is used to advantage those in power (Dale and Onyx, 2005). At a more sinister level, social capital can be and is used in the discourse of consensus which supports the status quo (Bryson and Mowbray, 2005). For this reason, many mainstream sociologists refused to use the concept.…”