scholarly journals A Study on Social Capital and the Social Impact of Public Libraries

2009 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seong-Woo Park ◽  
Woo-Kwon Chang
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
The Social

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.

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.

Social impact of Polish public libraries

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 168-178
Author(s):  
Magdalena Paul
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Instrument ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the methodological issues around developing a quantitative research instrument of the social impact of Polish public libraries. The results of the use of this instrument to survey users of Mazovian Province, Poland, are summarized as an example of its use. Design/methodology/approach The research focused on informational, educational and participatory aspects of social impact on the sidelines leaving cultural heritage issues. “Impact” and “social impact” were defined according to ISO 16439:2014. Information and documentation – methods and procedures for assessing the impact of libraries. The research instrument included questions both about the activities taken in libraries by its users and the benefits they gained. The questionnaire also contained questions which allowed to control the variables such as frequency of using libraries, socioeconomic factors and cultural practices. To describe dependencies, various statistical tests were applied. The study was conducted on the group of 1,098 users of 38 public libraries between February and June 2017. Findings Younger and people from smaller towns felt more benefits from using libraries. There are significant differences between types of benefits people of various age, financial status and household size experienced. People who went to libraries and other cultural institutions often experienced more benefits. The more a person performs activities in libraries, the more benefits he or she has. Some added value of particular activities is also visible. Research limitations/implications Despite the efforts and the size of the sample, it is not representative of the population of library users in the Mazovian Province (mainly due to the data collection method – auditory survey). Originality/value Studying the social impact of the libraries in Poland is still at its beginning. The presented research is, therefore, exploratory in terms of cognitive and methodological value.

The social impact of public libraries

2003 ◽  
Vol 52 (8) ◽  
pp. 379-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emir Jose Suaiden
Keyword(s):  
Social Impact ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
The Social

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.

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.

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).

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