scholarly journals Social Capital: Higher Resilience in Slums in the Lagos Metropolis

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 3879
Author(s):  
Olabisi S. Obaitor ◽  
Taibat O. Lawanson ◽  
Marion Stellmes ◽  
Tobia Lakes
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Land Allocation ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Community Group ◽  
The Social ◽  
Structural Social Capital ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Slum Community

Different slums exhibit different levels of resilience against the threat of eviction. However, little is known about the role of the social capital of the slum community in this context. This study investigates the factors contributing to slum resilience in the Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria, through a social capital lens. This study first investigates land allocation in slums, then the available social capital, and subsequently how this capital influences resilience to the threat of eviction in slums. Data were collected in two slum communities, in Lagos, through in-depth interviews and focus groups discussion. This study shows that land allocation is done by the traditional heads, contrarily to the mandate of the Nigeria Land Use Act of 1978. Furthermore, there is a form of structural social capital through the presence of government registered community development associations in the slums; however, their activities, decision-making process and the perception of the residents’ towards their respective associations, differs. This led to differences in trust, social cohesion and bonding ties among residents of the slum, thereby influencing resilience to the threat of eviction in slums. Since community group associations, through the appointed executives, drive the efficient utilization of social capital in slums, this study therefore recommends their restructuring in order to support a sustainable solution to the threat of eviction in slums in Lagos.

scholarly journals Economic empowerment based on the strengthening of social capital in the implementation of village-owned enterprises

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 209
Author(s):  
Leylia Khairani ◽  
Ramlan Ramlan ◽  
Delyana Rahmawany Pulungan
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Social System ◽  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Economic Empowerment ◽  
Community Members ◽  
The Social ◽  
Depth Interviews

Village-owned enterprises or Badan Usaha Milik Desa (BUMDes) is currently trying to realize Indonesia’s development from the periphery by strengthening villages' unitary framework state. However, BUMDes in North Sumatera have not utilized the potential of natural resources and the village’s potential. This study aims to reveal forms of economic empowerment based on strengthening social capital in implementing BUMDes. This study uses qualitative method research and the data were obtained through in-depth interviews to determine citizens’ involvement and participation in developing of BUMDes. This study found that community economic empowerment through the implementation of BUMDes in Mandailing Natal Districts reveals several elements of the role of social capital, which includes; 1) The involvement and participation of the community which is quite large. 2) Relationships between BUMDes managers, village leaders, and community members in the implementation of BUMDes are built based on the social system and cultural values of the Mandailing community. 3) Social norms and community beliefs refer to the social system and cultural values of the Mandailing community. Social capital that has been built through the social and cultural system strengthens trust in village-owned enterprises governance as an effort to empower the community’s economy in Mandailing Natal.

scholarly journals BUILDING SOCIAL CAPITAL THROUGH LEADER APPROACH 2007-2013: CASE OF LATVIA AND POLAND

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka WOJEWÓDZKA-WIEWIÓRSKA ◽  
Agnese KRIEVIŅA ◽  
Ligita MELECE
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Development ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
The Social ◽  
Local Actors ◽  
Cognitive Social Capital ◽  
Structural Social Capital ◽  
Different Levels

Building and developing social capital is regarded as a major factor underpinning the development of rural areas, while the LEADER approach to rural development has been found to have a great potential for creation and use of social capital. Therefore, the aim of the study is to explore the LEADER approach in building social capital in rural areas of Latvia and Poland, based on the thematic analysis of the implemented projects during 2007-2013. To achieve the objective, the study explores the introduction of the approach in Latvia and Poland, as well as presents project case studies for social capital formation in Latvia and Poland, by using appropriate materials and research methods. Projects carried out under the LEADER 2007-2013 in Latvia and Poland affect rural communities regarding social capital on different levels at the same time: build trust, create bonds around common values and raise citizens' involvement in joint initiatives. There are examples of projects that contribute to the building of structural social capital, relational social capital and cognitive social capital in Latvia and Poland. Overall, the thematic analysis of the realized projects in Latvia and Poland reveals that in relation to the social capital they have improved the possibilities for gathering and socialization, for participation in interest groups and associations. Never before in rural areas of Latvia and Poland there has been such a form of cooperation of different local actors, applying the bottom-up approach. Studies show that this approach works well in practice and brings the intended effects to rural development.

Value-driven issues throughout the development of sociological theory

2020 ◽  
pp. 147-160
Author(s):  
Gulbarshyn Chepurko ◽  
Valerii Pylypenko
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social System ◽  
Sociological Theory ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Social Sphere ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Different Levels

The paper examines and compares how the major sociological theories treat axiological issues. Value-driven topics are analysed in view of their relevance to society in times of crisis, when both societal life and the very structure of society undergo dramatic change. Nowadays, social scientists around the world are also witnessing such a change due to the emergence of alternative schools of sociological thought (non-classical, interpretive, postmodern, etc.) and, subsequently, the necessity to revise the paradigms that have been existed in sociology so far. Since the above-mentioned approaches are often used to address value-related issues, building a solid theoretical framework for these studies takes on considerable significance. Furthermore, the paradigm revision has been prompted by technological advances changing all areas of people’s lives, especially social interactions. The global human community, integral in nature, is being formed, and production of human values now matters more than production of things; hence the “expansion” of value-focused perspectives in contemporary sociology. The authors give special attention to collectivities which are higher-order units of the social system. These units are described as well-organised action systems where each individual performs his/her specific role. Just as the role of an individual is distinct from that of the collectivity (because the individual and the collectivity are different as units), so too a distinction is drawn between the value and the norm — because they represent different levels of social relationships. Values are the main connecting element between the society’s cultural system and the social sphere while norms, for the most part, belong to the social system. Values serve primarily to maintain the pattern according to which the society is functioning at a given time; norms are essential to social integration. Apart from being the means of regulating social processes and relationships, norms embody the “principles” that can be applied beyond a particular social system. The authors underline that it is important for Ukrainian sociology to keep abreast of the latest developments in the field of axiology and make good use of those ideas because this is a prerequisite for its successful integration into the global sociological community.

scholarly journals Exploring the effectiveness of a COVID-19 contact tracing app using an agent-based model

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonatan Almagor ◽  
Stefano Picascia
Keyword(s):  
High Rate ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Agent Based Model ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
The Social ◽  
Behavioural Factors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
User Rate

AbstractA contact-tracing strategy has been deemed necessary to contain the spread of COVID-19 following the relaxation of lockdown measures. Using an agent-based model, we explore one of the technology-based strategies proposed, a contact-tracing smartphone app. The model simulates the spread of COVID-19 in a population of agents on an urban scale. Agents are heterogeneous in their characteristics and are linked in a multi-layered network representing the social structure—including households, friendships, employment and schools. We explore the interplay of various adoption rates of the contact-tracing app, different levels of testing capacity, and behavioural factors to assess the impact on the epidemic. Results suggest that a contact tracing app can contribute substantially to reducing infection rates in the population when accompanied by a sufficient testing capacity or when the testing policy prioritises symptomatic cases. As user rate increases, prevalence of infection decreases. With that, when symptomatic cases are not prioritised for testing, a high rate of app users can generate an extensive increase in the demand for testing, which, if not met with adequate supply, may render the app counterproductive. This points to the crucial role of an efficient testing policy and the necessity to upscale testing capacity.

scholarly journals The Influence of Masculinity and the Moderating Role of Religion on the Workplace Well-Being of Factory Workers in China

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6250
Author(s):  
Quan Gao ◽  
Orlando Woods ◽  
Xiaomei Cai
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Spiritual Support ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Factory Workers ◽  
The Social ◽  
Being There ◽  
Role Of Religion ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Moderating Role

This paper explores how the intersection of masculinity and religion shapes workplace well-being by focusing on Christianity and the social construction of masculinity among factory workers in a city in China. While existing work on public and occupational health has respectively acknowledged masculinity’s influences on health and the religious and spiritual dimensions of well-being, there have been limited efforts to examine how variegated, and especially religious, masculinities influence people’s well-being in the workplace. Drawing on ethnography and in-depth interviews with 52 factory workers and 8 church leaders and factory managers, we found that: (1) Variegated masculinities were integrated into the factory labor regime to produce docile and productive bodies of workers. In particular, the militarized and masculine cultures in China’s factories largely deprived workers of their dignity and undermined their well-being. These toxic masculinities were associated with workers’ depression and suicidal behavior. (2) Christianity not only provided social and spiritual support for vulnerable factory workers, but also enabled them to construct a morally superior Christian manhood that phytologically empowered them and enhanced their resilience to exploitation. This paper highlights not only the gender mechanism of well-being, but also the ways religion mediates the social-psychological construction of masculinity.

The role of entrepreneurial families in entrepreneurial ecosystems: the family social capital approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Benavides-Salazar ◽  
Cristina Iturrioz-Landart ◽  
Cristina Aragón-Amonarriz ◽  
Asunción Ibañez-Romero
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Entrepreneurial Ecosystems ◽  
Family Social Capital ◽  
The Family ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Entrepreneurial Dynamics

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how entrepreneurial families (EFs) influence the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) by using the family social capital (FSC) approach. Design/methodology/approach For this paper, the authors analyzed the Manizales EE as a case study. The authors used a variety of data collection procedures, including in-depth interviews with 26 entrepreneurs and mentors. Findings The authors established how EFs affect EE development, identifying how the FSC bridging mechanisms impact the EE’s social and cultural attributes, boosting entrepreneurial dynamics. Originality/value The results indicated the relevance of EFs’ embeddedness and the degree of the FSC institutionalization in promoting of entrepreneurship within the EEs.

Generative pedagogies from and for the social production of habitat: Learning from HIC-AL School of grassroots urbanism

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Wesely ◽  
Adriana Allen ◽  
Lorena Zárate ◽  
María Silvia Emanuelli
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Popular Education ◽  
Global South ◽  
Generative Learning ◽  
Social Production ◽  
The Social ◽  
History Of ◽  
Depth Interviews

Re-thinking dominant epistemological assumptions of the urban in the global South implies recognising the role of grassroots networks in challenging epistemic injustices through the co-production of multiple saberes and haceres for more just and inclusive cities. This paper examines the pedagogies of such networks by focusing on the experiences nurtured within Habitat International Coalition in Latin America (HIC-AL), identified as a ‘School of Grassroots Urbanism’ (Escuela de Urbanismo Popular). Although HIC-AL follows foremost activist rather than educational objectives, members of HIC-AL identify and value their practices as a ‘School’, whose diverse pedagogic logics and epistemological arguments are examined in this paper. The analysis builds upon a series of in-depth interviews, document reviews and participant observation with HIC-AL member organisations and allied grassroots networks. The discussion explores how the values and principles emanating from a long history of popular education and popular urbanism in the region are articulated through situated pedagogies of resistance and transformation, which in turn enable generative learning from and for the social production of habitat.

The role of public libraries in the development of social capital in local communities – a theoretical study

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 184-196
Author(s):  
Maja Dorota Wojciechowska
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

PurposeSocial capital, understood as intangible community values available through a network of connections, is a factor in the development of societies and improving quality of life. It helps to remove economic inequalities and prevent poverty and social exclusion, stimulate social and regional development, civic attitudes and social engagement and build a civic society as well as local and regional identity. Many of these tasks may be implemented by libraries, which, apart from providing access to information, may also offer a number of services associated with social needs. The purpose of this paper is to present the roles and functions that libraries may serve in local communities in terms of assistance, integration and development based on classical social capital theories.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reviews the classical concepts of social capital in the context of libraries. It analyses the findings of Pierre-Félix Bourdieu, James Coleman, Francis Fukuyama, Robert Putnam, Nan Lin, Ronald Stuart Burt, Wayne Baker and Alejandro Portes. Based on their respective concepts, the paper analyses the role of the contemporary library in the social life of local communities. In particular, it focuses on the possible new functions that public libraries may serve.FindingsA critical review of the concept of social capital revealed certain dependencies between libraries and their neighbourhoods. With new services that respond to the actual social needs, libraries may serve as a keystone, namely they may integrate, animate and engage local communities. This, however, requires a certain approach to be adopted by the personnel and governing authorities as well as infrastructure and tangible resources.Originality/valueThe social engagement of libraries is usually described from the practical perspective (reports on the services provided) or in the context of research on the impact of respective projects on specific groups of users (research reports). A broader approach, based on original social theories, is rarely encountered. The paper draws on classical concepts of social capital and is a contribution to the discussion on possible uses of those concepts based on an analysis of the role of libraries in social life and in strengthening the social capital of local communities.

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