‘Children, Belonging and Social Capital: The PTA and Middle Class Narratives of Social Involvement in the North-West of England’

2003 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 128-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaynor Bagnall ◽  
Brian Longhurst ◽  
Mike Savage
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Middle Class ◽  
Social Involvement ◽  
Voluntary Organizations ◽  
Dual Purpose ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Depth Interviews

This paper uses data gathered from an ESRC funded research project on social networks, social capital and lifestyle to provide an account of narratives of belonging and social involvement. Drawing on data from 88 in-depth interviews carried out in the North-West of England between 1997 and 1999, we identify how parental involvement in voluntary organizations connected to their children, such as Parent Teachers Associations (PTA), figures in middle class narratives as a vehicle through which to perform belonging and social involvement. We argue that social involvement through children is presented as a dimension of feeling located in place socially. By using data from two contrasting areas, Wilmslow and Cheadle, we show how this concern to perform locally based parenthood nonetheless leads to very different patterns of engagement. The mobile, middle class in Wilmslow seek to build social capital through the generation of loose social networks based around children and children's education. We suggest that this serves the dual purpose of connecting them to ‘like-minded’ people and to the educational establishments they value as a means of getting ahead. In Cheadle, the generally less mobile respondents use their more local habitus to generate bonding forms of social capital with tighter social networks based around, kin, residence and leisure that enable them to ‘get by’. We argue that the narratives of participation articulated relate to the respondents’ degree of embeddedness in the locale, the different place-based habitus of each area and the gendering of family practices. At the heart of many of these narratives, particularly but not exclusively in Wilmslow, are tales about being a ‘good’ parent and more particularly of being a ‘good’ mother.

‘I've Always Managed, That's What We Do’: Social Capital and Women's Experiences of Social Exclusion

2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria K Gosling
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Inner City ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Poor People ◽  
Housing Estate ◽  
The North ◽  
Community Responsibility ◽  
Depth Interviews

It is evident that the concept of ‘social capital’ has recently come to the forefront of many governmental strategies aimed at combating social exclusion. In particular the interpretation of social capital used by many authors and agencies is one that emphasises the importance of not only social networks and contacts, but also a social responsibility to one's local community and wider society. Most notably it is poor people and poorer neighbourhoods that are seen to be lacking in these forms of social capital, and therefore emphasis is placed upon individual and community responsibility for tackling their own (and other's) exclusion. Drawing on in-depth interviews with women living on a deprived inner-city housing estate in the north of England, this research considers existing practices, forms and gendered nature of social capital for these women. The paper concludes that contrary to popular beliefs, many of these women already possessed forms of social capital, and specifically, that this was beneficial in helping them cope and ‘get by’ within their everyday experiences of social exclusion. This research highlights the potential exclusionary nature of social capital for certain individuals and the limitations of social capital in helping excluded women to escape their poverty.

Social capital’s role in the development of volunteer-led cooperatives

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Richards ◽  
John Reed
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Third Sector ◽  
Economic Capital ◽  
Content Type ◽  
North West ◽  
Stakeholder Groups ◽  
The North ◽  
Third Sector Organisations ◽  
Capital Development

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to evaluate how social capital is developed in a third sector organisation based in the north-west of England, a small food cooperative run by volunteers. Social capital comprises the bonds, bridges and linkages that hold together societal members, and it can be considered to be a precursor of economic capital. Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative data were collected through interviews with key informants, observations and documents. Data were analysed using either a template or a thematic analysis to identify aspects of social capital development. Findings – A model of the interactions between and within the three main stakeholder groups involved in the cooperative is presented. This model shows how these interactions can develop social capital, and it discusses how potential deficits in social capital can occur. Research limitations/implications – The findings have practical and theoretical implications, in that they may better equip third-sector organisations to understand how social capital is developed. Originality/value – This is one of few practical studies of social capital development in a social enterprise and provides valuable insights into the processes by which this is done.

Online Sisterhood

2016 ◽  
pp. 208-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariane J. Utomo
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Middle Class ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Personal Income

Across developing countries, the role of social networks and social capital in facilitating women's access to income is well documented. However, less is known about how networks facilitated by social networking sites (SNS) may transform women's economic opportunities in these regions. In this chapter, I draw upon a relatively recent phenomenon of the use of SNS as a medium of trade in urban Indonesia. In 2010, I conducted preliminary interviews to examine the dynamics of Facebook-facilitated trade among urban middle-class married women residing in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. The interviews highlighted beneficial links between social media, social capital, and productivity – by means of increased personal income. However, this effective link between SNS and income-generating social capital is likely to be a rather distinctive example, as it depends largely on the class, gender, and cultural specificities that shape the nature of online and offline social interactions among my target group.

scholarly journals Work and personal life: Which strategies do secondary school educators use to deal with the interaction?

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lizelle Wentzel ◽  
Chenell Buys ◽  
Karina Mostert
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Personal Life ◽  
Phenomenological Method ◽  
Personal Lives ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Analysis Strategies ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Educational Field

The general objective of this study was to investigate which strategies secondary school educators use to deal with the interaction between their work and personal lives. A non-probability purposive voluntary sample (N = 21) was taken of secondary school educators from the Potchefstroom and Promosa areas in the North West Province. Data was collected through a phenomenological method of semi-structured in-depth interviews and was analysed by the use of content analysis. Strategies that were reported by the educators included support and understanding from important others, work satisfaction, keeping work and personal life apart, acceptance of their teaching environment, planning ahead, experiencing teaching as a calling, experience in the educational field, communication, religion or prayer, doing exercise and staying active, and doing the work that is expected of them.

“Rise of the middle of the pyramid in Africa”: theoretical and practical realities for understanding middle class consumer purchase decision making

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tendai Chikweche ◽  
Richard Fletcher
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Middle Class ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Product Performance ◽  
Purchase Decision ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Method Approach ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that influence the growing African middle class (middle of pyramid; MOP) consumers' purchase decision making. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed qualitative research method approach comprising in-depth interviews was used to collect data from middle of pyramid consumers in four countries. Secondary data analysis was used to complement the interviews. Findings – Key findings include the identification of three key intertwined influencers of branding, peer and social networks and aesthetics and product performance. Other influencers include technology and new products, distribution channels and family. Research limitations/implications – The focus on four countries has the potential to minimize the generalizability of findings from the study although the four countries used have a significant amount of middle class consumers in Africa. However, this does not detract from the findings of the study but actually provides a basis for further research into other emerging markets. Practical implications – Findings from the study provide practical insights for marketing managers who intend to serve this market, key of which are branding, use of social networks, online distribution and maximising technology. Originality/value – The paper expands the research agenda of the relatively new area of the MOP. By focusing on the MOP in Africa, the research expands existing knowledge beyond previous areas of focus of middle class studies that focus on China and India.

scholarly journals A case of tightrope walking

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 238-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna Bramwell ◽  
Caroline Sanders ◽  
Anne Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Government Employees ◽  
Content Type ◽  
North West ◽  
Workplace Engagement ◽  
The North ◽  
Depth Study ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose – Given that current policy in the UK is focused on encouraging individuals with long-term health conditions (LTCs) to work wherever possible, the purpose of this paper is to explore employer’s and manager’s perspectives of supporting those with LTCs as any successful workplace engagement will largely be influenced by their readiness to be supportive. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 40 semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with employers’ and managers’ from a range of organisations in the north-west of England during the period March 2011 to January 2012. Comparative analysis of the data was guided and informed by grounded theory principles. Findings – All bar one participant typified their role as one of a difficult “balancing” act of additional and often incompatible demands, pressures and feelings. It was evident that coping with this ambivalent situation incurred an emotional consequence for participants. Practical implications – Employers’ and managers’ response to ambivalent feelings may serve to undermine their capacity to translate supportive intentions into tangible action and are thus reflected in employee’s perceptions of unsupportive relations. Developing an intervention to raise awareness of the potential for this situation and subsequent impact on the return to work process would be beneficial for all stakeholders – the government, employees and employers alike. Originality/value – This in-depth study gives voice to employers and managers whose experiences and perceptions of supporting people with LTCs is largely unknown and empirically under-researched. Findings add to the wealth of research from the employee perspective to provide a more nuanced picture of the workplace for those working with and/or supporting those with LTCs.

scholarly journals The Impact of Social Capital on Mental Health: Evidence from the China Family Panel Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 190
Author(s):  
Xianhua Dai ◽  
Nian Gu
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Panel Survey ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Mutual Help ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Cognitive Social Capital ◽  
The Impact

The influence of social capital on mental health is a controversial topic. As some studies have pointed out, cognitive social capital significantly affects mental health but structural social capital does not. Using data from the China Family Panel Survey, this study measured social capital from social help, social trust, social networks, and social participation as the instrumental variables (regional average level of social capital), and applied a two-stage least squares regression. We found that the mental health of residents who trust and help each other is significantly higher than that of residents without trust and mutual help. When residents’ efforts to maintain social networks increase, their mental health significantly improves. These results are robust. Furthermore, the impact of social capital on mental health was heterogeneous in terms of urbanicity, gender, age, and area. These results are helpful for making policies for promoting residents’ mental health.

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING THE SOCIAL CAPITAL OF THE NWU DISTANCE LEARNING COMMUNITY

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-32
Author(s):  
C Du Toit-Brits
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
North West ◽  
Educational Dialogue ◽  
The North ◽  
The Social

Discussions of dialogue have been at the heart of Distance Learning (well known in the theories of Borge, Holmberg and Moore). This theoretical article focuses on formulating criteria for evaluating the social capital of a particular Distance Learning community, at the North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus (NWU), and attempts to put forward specific thoughts regarding the importance of dialogue as a key pedagogical method within the Distance Learning setting at NWU through which social capital is being shaped. A number of educationalists recently re-examined the position that dialogue occupies in the Distance Learning setting. Distance Learning is to facilitate through a distance; these students and lecturers are divided physically in occasion and space. Consequently, Distance Learning students and lecturers lack the communal physical attendance that is imperative for communication. In Distance Learning, many communication pathways are imprecise. This article specifically deals with the essentially dialogic nature of the educational dialogue in Distance Learning, and the need to establish criteria for evaluating the social capital of a particular Distance Learning community. 

scholarly journals Network-based resources for the innovation process of South African micro-entrepreneurs: A conceptual framework

2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 79-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. W. Griffin-EL
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
South African ◽  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Network Diversity ◽  
Innovative Process ◽  
The Social ◽  
Depth Interviews

The paper explores the social networks of South African micro-entrepreneurs in order to understand the socially-embedded resources that micro-entrepreneurs apply towards their innovation process. The paper posits that the social capital embedded within the network of a micro-entrepreneur is activated by the demands of the innovation process to generate other forms of resources by which the innovation process is facilitated. Analysing empirical data collected via in-depth interviews of urban micro-entrepreneurs in the Johannesburg metropolitan area, the analysis conceptually organizes these various forms of socially embedded resources into an original framework referred to as Network Diversity Value (NDV). Two central dimensions frame NDV – the orientation of the innovation process and the form of the emerging resource. The interaction of these dimensions reveal a variety of network-based resources perceived as valuable, and suggest a greater degree of complexity and nuance in the South African micro-entrepreneur’s innovative process than that which common discourse conveys.

scholarly journals Strangers in our midst: Immigration, social capital and segmented conflict

2021 ◽  
pp. 174889582098622
Author(s):  
Clare E Griffiths
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Low Income ◽  
North West ◽  
The North ◽  
Status Inconsistency ◽  
Positive Social Interaction ◽  
Complex Forms ◽  
Complex Features ◽  
High Level

Putnam famously stated in his ‘hunkering down’ thesis that residents of diverse communities experiencing immigration retreat into their homes inhibiting the production of ‘social capital’. Immigration is therefore often posited to disrupt communities and positive social interaction, ultimately increasing tension and conflict between groups. Moving beyond Putnam’s simplistic account that immigration inevitably disrupts social capital, this article aims to instead show the complex features of civility and conflict that can co-exist among migrant and local communities. The research was based in a small working-class town in the North West of England that experienced the migration of Polish workers. Using a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods, the key results show how new Polish migrants in particular demonstrate complex forms of social interaction displaying in-group hostility but out-group civility. Lenski’s notion of ‘status inconsistency’ is used to help explain why migrants with a high level of education but a low income are particularly mistrustful and intolerant of others.

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