Social capital in vulnerable urban settings: an analytical framework

Abstract

Social capital has been identified as crucial to the fostering of resilience in rapidly expanding cities of the Global South. The purpose of this article is to better understand the complexities of urban social interaction and how such interaction can constitute 'capital' in achieving urban resilience. A concept analysis was conducted to establish what constitutes social capital, its relevance to vulnerable urban settings and how it can be measured. Social capital is considered to be constituted of three forms of interaction: bonds, bridges and linkages. The characteristics of these forms of interaction may vary according to the social, political, cultural and economic diversity to be found within vulnerable urban settings. A framework is outlined to explore the complex nature of social capital in urban settings. On the basis of an illustrative case study, indicators are established to indicate how culturally specific indicators are required to measure social capital that are sensitive to multiple levels of analysis and the development of a multidimensional framework. The framework outlined ought to be adapted to context and validated by future research.

Social capital insights from Healthy Settings needs assessment in Malawi

“…The results also emphasise the complexities of the term ‘community’, especially the dangers of defining communities by geographical boundaries alone and viewing them as a simple, homogenous unit. The Mfera data concurs with other social capital research that factors like gender, age and ethnicity contribute to varied individual perceptions of health and community relationships [ 9 , 10 ]. The data also highlights the dangers of only consulting with the leaders and/or elders in a community during a needs assessment due to time, protocol and budget restraints.…”

“…lack of trust and jealousy amongst community members and levels of motivation among the leadership. In line with previous research this suggests that social capital indicators vary depending on project location, and as such inclusion of a social capital measurement tool within community health projects requires some tailoring for local and cultural context [ 10 , 15 , 16 ]. However these additions must be fully justified to ensure the tool does not become too unwieldy or complex for health workers.…”

“…A further concern is the simplicity of the current version of the tool may not reflect the complexity of social capital. A recent case study from Kenya investigated the different indicators and forms of social capital in vulnerable communities and outlined the importance of going beyond the quantitative data collected in a baseline survey [ 10 ]. The paper proposes a conceptual framework measuring bonding, bridging and linking social capitals using mixed methods including qualitative research and social network analysis.…”

“…The multi-disciplinary interest in social capital as a concept and measurement tool has led to a wide variety of theoretical approaches to assessing social capital within public health research over the past 20 years [ 4 ]. Of particular interest, with respect to the Healthy Settings project in Malawi, is the discourse about potential links between strong social capital, coping strategies and community participation [ 9 , 10 ]. It has been documented that if poor communities have high levels of social capital, for example they can rely on their neighbours in times of illness, they trust that local leaders will represent their interests, or they can pay later at their local shop for medications they need, that they are less vulnerable and are more likely to have coping strategies that address the daily challenges that poverty brings, and are more likely to participate in community development [ 6 ].…”

Understanding Demand for, and Feasibility of, Centre-based Child-care for Poor Urban Households: A Mixed Methods Study in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

“…week. Given that 55% of children globally now live in cities [41], further studies to understand how social cohesion can be strengthened with the urban context is vital [42].…”