Open Water Swimming Events, Social Capital And Sociality

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Greenwood ◽  
Thomas Fletcher
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Sports Participation ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
Event Space ◽  
The Social ◽  
Open Water Swimming ◽  
Bridging Capital ◽  
Mass Participation

There is strong evidence to suggest that a connection exists between sports participation and the accumulation of social capital. Event research is also beginning to recognise that non-elite mass participation sport events can foster a sense of temporary casual sociality, community and camaraderie within the event space, and thus, create meaningful social impact for participants. Through analysis of data obtained via semi-structured interviews and surveys conducted with open water swimmers and observations undertaken at open water swimming events, this paper seeks to contribute to the small (but growing) body of empirical and case specific research on the social capital potential of mass participation sports events. We adopt Putnam’s notions of bonding and bridging social capital to interpret the social impact (if any) of open water swimming events on participants. It is the first of its kind to explicitly explore the social capital potential of open water swimming events in the UK. In so being it will develop ideas of whether social connections are temporary, delimited by the duration of the event, or whether they can endure outside of the event space as broader social networks and groups. We argue that events can facilitate meaningful social connections, and we analyse the durability of these social connections. Our data suggests that open water swimming events can facilitate casual social interactions with individuals from outside of already bonded groups, however evidence of bridging capital was less convincing, in that it tended to be associated with a certain type of event and where participants shared a particular identity.

Social Capital Accounting

2019 ◽  
pp. 107-146
Author(s):  
John P. Wilson ◽  
Sonal Choudhary
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
United Nations ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Large Majority ◽  
The Social ◽  
12 Steps ◽  
Development Goals

Sustainability accounting has become a mainstream practice for a large majority of S&P500 companies, and this reflects global society's increasing interest and concern around sustainability issues. In particular, the United Nations published its “Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” and 193 countries signed up to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 associated targets. The UN also called upon companies to help this process across their supply chains and developed a natural capital protocol for assessing and valuing environmental areas and a social capital protocol (SCP) for assessing and valuing human and societal capital such as skills, knowledge, wellbeing, shared values, and institutions. This chapter systematically investigates each of the 12 steps of the social capital protocol and identifies a range of benefits and substantial challenges which companies will face if they wish to account for their social impact across the supply chain.

Wired High Rise

2004 ◽  
pp. 192-208
Author(s):  
Denise Meredyth ◽  
Liza Hopkins ◽  
Scott Ewing ◽  
Julian Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Computer Networks ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Community Activities ◽  
For Profit ◽  
High Rise ◽  
The Social ◽  
Information Poverty

The chapter poses questions about the goal of building community through the creation of local networks, using the example of an entrepreneurial scheme to create a resident-run computer network in the Atherton Gardens high-rise housing estate in inner Melbourne, Australia. The scheme stems from a social partnership between a not-for-profit organisation, government and community groups; the aim is to enable residents to re-enter training, employment and community activities. The first stage of the paper places the scheme in the context of broader debates on the digital divide, information poverty and social capital, drawing out existing problems in the field. The authors discuss the problems of tracking the social impact of computer networks on ‘communities’, especially where there is a great diversity of interest and allegiance. The Atherton Gardens Reach for the Clouds initiative exemplifies such difficulties. The chapter argues that enthusiasm for this innovative scheme should be balanced by caution in using the vocabulary of social capital and community building. It cannot be assumed that online communication will build social connection off-line, given the diversity of interests, groups and allegiances within groups. This argument is made drawing on the initial stage of survey-based research on Atherton Gardens residents’ patterns of computer and media use, of employment and training, social connectedness, use of social services and experience of living on the estate. The authors conclude by reflecting on the broader implications of the case study for research on the social impact of computer networks on multiethnic populations with diverse needs, interests and allegiances.

The Social Rates of Return to R&D, Scientists, Engineers and Tertiary Education System Investments: International Evidence

2006 ◽  
pp. 9-28
Author(s):  
Joilson Dias ◽  
María Helena Ambrosio Dias
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Instrumental Variables ◽  
Education System ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Rates Of Return ◽  
International Evidence ◽  
Education Investment ◽  
The Social ◽  
Scientists And Engineers

The objective of this paper is to estimate the social rates of returns to tertiary education investment and its output —R&D and scientists and engineers— in the economy. In measuring this social impact, we account for the endogeneity problems using instrumental variables. Our instruments are the ones suggested by Hall and Jones (1999). Our econometric results show that the investments variables are indeed endogenous and that our instruments indeed represent the social capital of the economies. The estimated social rates of return to the investments in R&D, scientist and engineers and tertiary education for 70 countries are well above the private one, which may justify targeted policies.

Olympic Dreams and Social Realities: A Foucauldian Analysis of Legacy and Mass Participation

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Piper ◽  
Dean Garratt
Keyword(s):  
Sports Participation ◽  
Risk Society ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
London 2012 ◽  
The Social ◽  
Culture Of Fear ◽  
Mind Set ◽  
Mass Participation ◽  
Foucauldian Analysis

Focussing on the London 2012 legacy claim relating to increased activity levels and sports participation, the paper discusses a range of factors which appear to militate against its achievement. Utilising a Foucauldian theoretical framework, we discuss how some of these operate at the conceptual and linguistic level, while others relate to governmental processes, and still another to the distinction between active engagement with the Games as carnival/festival and passive consumption as spectacle. Closest attention is paid to the negative effects on mass participation of a mind-set and collateral social practices, amplified in sport, which prioritise the avoidance of all risk, and particularly the risk of abuse. Drawing on data from a recent ESRC-funded research project, we demonstrate how this has resulted in a culture of fear and corrosive mistrust, which can only reduce grassroots willingness to take up sports, and the effectiveness and commitment of the coaches required to support it. The social context of discourse is considered, and Foucault's conceptual ‘toolbox’ is deployed, to encapsulate the interrelationship of risk society, moral panic, and governmentality.

Developing an Instrument to Measure the Social Impact of Sport: Social Capital, Collective Identities, Health Literacy, Well-Being and Human Capital

2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seung Pil Lee ◽  
T. Bettina Cornwell ◽  
Kathy Babiak
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Corporate Sponsorship ◽  
Collective Identities ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
The Social

The objective of this study is to develop an instrument to measure the social impact of sport. While there is a rich literature suggesting and measuring the ways in which sport contributes to society, no broad, encompassing scale has been developed. A measure of this type is useful if sport initiatives are to gain social, political and financial support, especially in the form of corporate sponsorship. The proposed “Social Impact of Sport Scale” includes the dimensions of social capital, collective identities, health literacy, well-being and human capital. In addition to development of a detailed 75 item composite scale stemming largely from past measurement, a shorter set of global measures is also examined. A convenience sample of university students is used in scale development as well as a partial test of the scale in context. Results find support for the detailed scale and for the short global measure instrument. In addition, the partial test of the scale in a context of sport experience relevant to students is reported. The value of the scale in use and areas of future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Are All “Friends” Beneficial? The Use of Facebook and WeChat and the Social Capital of College Students in Macau

SAGE Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 215824402096361
Author(s):  
Xiaoqin Li
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
Bonding Social Capital ◽  
Bridging Social Capital ◽  
The Social ◽  
Strong Negative Relationship

Facebook is the most popular social network site (SNS) globally, and WeChat is the top SNS in China, so few regions in the world exist where both SNSs are used simultaneously and are popular among the younger generation, and even fewer studies have been conducted on the comparison of the use of the two top SNSs. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the implications of using home country and global top SNSs for social capital among Chinese students from local (i.e., Macau SAR) and mainland China by adapting the analysis framework of the formation and maintenance of social capital—that is, to assess bridging, bonding social capital, and maintained social capital. A survey of undergraduate students at the only comprehensive public university of Macau ( N = 348) reveals that both Facebook and WeChat use are positively associated with bridging social capital and bonding social capital, yet only WeChat use has a significant and positive relationship with maintained social capital. In contrast, the time spent on Facebook has a strong negative relationship with bridging and bonding social capital. On-campus living also has a positive relationship with both bridging and bonding social capital. All this suggests that keeping social connections virtually and physically simultaneously might provide greater benefits for users.

Social Capital and Entrepreneurship

2022 ◽  
pp. 241-249
Author(s):  
Ermal Bino ◽  
Ferdinand Epoc ◽  
Ilya Bystrov
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Social Hierarchy ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Social Connections ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The Social ◽  
Competitive Rivalry

This chapter presents a social capital point of view of entrepreneurship and how the assets and value embedded in entrepreneur social relations could support the success of the enterprise, especially small ones. Social connections are unique in nature, are personal and stable in the long run. These features make them very unique and difficult to imitate. Therefore, if used properly, based on the position of the entrepreneur in the social hierarchy, it can generate or at least behave as a very unique and inimitable source of competitive advantage. Capitalizing on such resources could be of help to entrepreneurs especially in times of high competitive rivalry.

Social Impact Assessment

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald Getz
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Cultural Change ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Social Impacts ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Social Impact Assessment ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Social ◽  
Big Picture

Social and cultural change can occur slowly, sometimes invisibly, and in many directions at once. It will usually be difficult to differentiate the changes caused or influenced by events and tourism from wider forces and trends in society. The approach taken in this chapter is to first define social impacts and social impact assessment, then examine the wide range of social impacts that could be the subjects of SIA. A series of figures presents types of social impacts that should be considered for the major subjects of IA, starting with individuals and ending with whole societies. In each of these tables there are suggested goals, methods and indicators. Specific types of social impact are expressed as goal statements, mostly benefits to achieve. The SIA process is then discussed, including methods of particular relevance to SIA for events and tourism. Special attention is given to the concept of social capital and how it can be assessed. Not only is social capital an important topic in the literature and apparently of interest to many policy makers, but exploring how to measure this concept is indicative of the challenges related to other social and cultural theories and concepts. Refer back to Chapter 3 for a parallel discussion of how to construct a theory of change model for social integration and inclusion. For related history and topical overviews, readers are encouraged to consult books that give the big picture, including Exploring the Social Impacts of Events, edited by Richards et al. (2013), and Event Studies by Getz and Page (3d. ed., 2016).

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document