Re-conceptualizing social anchors in community development: utilizing social anchor theory to create social capital's third dimension

“You only get back what you put in”: perceptions of professional sport organizations as community anchors

“…Social anchors also contribute toward personal identification among members of the community across boundaries such as gender, demographic, or racial by means of some form of collective identity (Clopton & Finch, 2011, p. 70). The celebration of ''Mardi Gras'' in Louisiana, for example, illustrates the level of identification among Louisiana residents with this event (Clopton & Finch, 2011). Essentially, social anchors can be any institution and can take forms that include legal, political, economic, or physical; any of these institutions can act as a support net to develop and maintain social networks and social capital (Clopton & Finch, 2011, p. 70).…”

“…In doing so, they propose a conceptual model illustrating the role of institutions and organizations as vehicles in ''anchoring'' social networks. In referring to Putnam's work (2000), Clopton and Finch (2011) explain that social anchors promote bonding social capital (close relationships) that can help community members through challenging times. They also underline the importance of promoting bridging social capital, with social anchors reinforcing ties with similar-minded people and promoting network extensions.…”

“…Thake's (2007) acknowledgment that such terms as ''community anchor organizations'' have been recently added to the lexicon might, if only partly, justify such glaring gap of knowledge and research. To date, Clopton and Finch (2011) are among the few scholars who have addressed SAT in a theoretical and practical context when investigating social anchors and community development. Because of the significance of Clopton and Finch's (2011) contribution toward the theoretical foundation of the present study, the following sections of the literature review will primarily refer to the work of these authors.…”

“…To date, Clopton and Finch (2011) are among the few scholars who have addressed SAT in a theoretical and practical context when investigating social anchors and community development. Because of the significance of Clopton and Finch's (2011) contribution toward the theoretical foundation of the present study, the following sections of the literature review will primarily refer to the work of these authors. Previous studies (Coalter, 2007;Roy & Graeff, 2003;Spaaij, 2009) identify the different demands professional sport organizations face, expectations some groups in society place on these organizations, and even the need for a stronger consideration of CSR among those organizations.…”

“…Thus, in the present study, the SAT is considered the most appropriate theoretical framework to examine these themes from the ''demand'' side of professional sports. Clopton and Finch (2011) draw on the fields of sociology, recreation, community development, and education (Bridger & Alter, 2006;Gotham, 2007;Perkins, Hughey, & Speer, 2002;Wood & Thomas, 2006) discussing the relevance of SAT and its links to community development. In doing so, they propose a conceptual model illustrating the role of institutions and organizations as vehicles in ''anchoring'' social networks.…”