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The spatial dimension of social capital

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  • Rutten, Roel
  • Westlund, Hans
  • Boekema, Frans

Abstract

Social capital pertains to the social relations between humans, and since these social relations have a spatial dimension, so too does social capital. However, the spatial dimension of social capital has received little attention in the literature so far. Even in a globalizing world where electronic and virtual communication have the potential to defeat the need for geographical proximity, it is still relevant to consider the spatial dimension of social capital. After all, human beings exist most prominently in real rather than in virtual space. This special issue undertakes an inquiry into the spatial dimension of social capital from an explorative perspective. It aims to further theoretical and empirical understanding of the spatial dimension of social capital. As editors we recognize that the debate on social capital is still ongoing in the literature and that it is fed from different, sometimes conflicting perspectives. Therefore, the spatial dimension of social capital can only be conceptualized in the light of these different perspectives, which necessitates an explorative approach. Nonetheless, the various contributions of this special issue allow several conclusions that are valuable to the ongoing discussion on social capital and its spatial dimension. In the first part of this introductory paper, we discuss social capital from a conceptual angle, as we distinguish between two key approaches (the “structuralist” and “interactionist” approaches). We then argue how these approaches may be helpful to the understanding of the spatial dimension of social capital. In the second part, we introduce the various contributions and explain how they contribute to the aim of this special issue.

Suggested Citation

  • Rutten, Roel & Westlund, Hans & Boekema, Frans, 2009. "The spatial dimension of social capital," MPRA Paper 30806, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:30806
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    Cited by:

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    4. Călin Vâlsan & Zizi Goschin & Elena Druică, 2023. "The Measurement of Social Capital in America: A Reassessment," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 165(1), pages 135-161, January.
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    6. Ann Carpenter, 2015. "Resilience in planning: a review of comprehensive plans in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina," FRB Atlanta Community and Economic Development Discussion Paper 2015-1, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    7. Hasan, Mostafa Monzur & Habib, Ahsan, 2019. "Social capital and trade credit," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 158-174.
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    9. Mostafa Monzur Hasan & Ahsan Habib, 2019. "Social capital and idiosyncratic return volatility," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 44(1), pages 3-31, February.
    10. Roman Martin, 2013. "Differentiated Knowledge Bases and the Nature of Innovation Networks," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(9), pages 1418-1436, September.
    11. Giorgio Fazio & Luciano Lavecchia, 2013. "Social Capital Formation across Space," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 36(3), pages 296-321, July.
    12. Pinto, Hugo & Cruz, Ana & Gonçalves, Ana, 2011. "Hard Working Ant: An Eco-Tourism Spin-Off Creation Tale," Spatial and Organizational Dynamics Discussion Papers 2011-11, CIEO-Research Centre for Spatial and Organizational Dynamics, University of Algarve.
    13. Ann Carpenter, 2013. "Social ties, space, and resilience: Literature review of community resilience to disasters and constituent social and built environment factors," FRB Atlanta Community and Economic Development Discussion Paper 2013-02, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    14. Elif Kısar Koramaz, 2014. "The Spatial Context of Social Integration," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 119(1), pages 49-71, October.
    15. Katarzyna Pawlewicz & Adam Pawlewicz, 2020. "Interregional Diversity of Social Capital in the Context of Sustainable Development—A Case Study of Polish Voivodeships," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-24, July.
    16. Lyndon Murphy & Robert Huggins & Piers Thompson, 2016. "Social capital and innovation: A comparative analysis of regional policies," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 34(6), pages 1025-1057, September.
    17. Ren Lu & Ruikan Zhang & Torger Reve, 2013. "Relations among Clusters in Six Chinese City Regions," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(8), pages 1189-1209, August.
    18. Luciano Lavecchia, 2015. "A note on social capital, space and growth in Europe," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 1017, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    19. Basco, Rodrigo, 2015. "Family business and regional development—A theoretical model of regional familiness," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 6(4), pages 259-271.
    20. Atakhan-Kenneweg, Melda & Oerlemans, Leon A.G. & Raab, Jörg, 2021. "New inter-organizational knowledge tie formation after firm relocation: Investigating the impact of spatial, relational, and temporal context," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 264-276.
    21. Aradom Gebrekidan Abbay & Roel Rutten & Hossein Azadi & Frank Witlox, 2018. "How Social Status Contributes to Sustainable Livelihoods? An Empirical Analysis in Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-24, December.
    22. Markus Grillitsch & Josephine V Rekers, 2016. "How does multi-scalar institutional change affect localized learning processes? A case study of the med-tech sector in Southern Sweden," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 48(1), pages 154-171, January.
    23. Oriana Villarroel-Molina & Carmen De-Pablos-Heredero & Jaime Rangel & María Prosperina Vitale & Antón García, 2021. "Usefulness of Network Analysis to Characterize Technology Leaders in Small Dual-Purpose Cattle Farms in Mexico," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-13, February.
    24. Taylor, Grantley & Al-Hadi, Ahmed & Richardson, Grant & Alfarhan, Usamah & Al-Yahyaee, Khamis, 2019. "Is there a relation between labor investment inefficiency and corporate tax avoidance?," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 185-201.
    25. Pulles, Niels J. & Schiele, Holger, 2013. "Social Capital Determinants of Preferential Resource Allocation in Regional Clusters," management revue - Socio-Economic Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 24(2), pages 96-113.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Social capital; Spatial social capital; Spatial social networks;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economic Sociology; Economic Anthropology; Language; Social and Economic Stratification
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes

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