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Measuring Community Strength and Social Capital

Author

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  • Robert Stimson
  • John Western
  • Scott Baum
  • Yolanda Van Gellecum

Abstract

In 2001/02 five case study communities in both metropolitan and regional urban locations in Australia were chosen as test sites to develop measures of community strength on four domains: natural capital; produced economic capital; human capital; and social and institutional capital. Secondary data sources were used to develop measures on the first three domains. For the fourth domain?social and institutional capital?primary data collection was undertaken through sample surveys of households. A structured approach was devised. This involved developing a survey instrument using scaled items relating to four elements: formal norms; informal norms; formal structures; and informal structures?which embrace the concepts of trust, reciprocity, bonds, bridges, links and networks in the interaction of individuals with their community inherent in the notion social capital. Exploratory principal components analysis was used to identify factors that measure those aspects of social and institutional capital, with confirmatory analysis conducted using Cronbach?s Alpha. This enabled the construction of four primary scales and 15 sub-scales as a tool for measuring social and institutional capital. Further analyses reveals that two measures?anomie and perceived quality of life and wellbeing?relate to certain primary scales of social capital.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert Stimson & John Western & Scott Baum & Yolanda Van Gellecum, 2003. "Measuring Community Strength and Social Capital," ERSA conference papers ersa03p521, European Regional Science Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:wiw:wiwrsa:ersa03p521
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    File URL: https://www-sre.wu.ac.at/ersa/ersaconfs/ersa03/cdrom/papers/521.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sophia Christakopoulou & Jon Dawson & Aikaterini Gari, 2001. "The Community Well-Being Questionnaire: Theoretical Context and Initial Assessment of Its Reliability and Validity," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 319-349, December.
    2. Narayan, Deepa, 1999. "Bonds and bridges : social and poverty," Policy Research Working Paper Series 2167, The World Bank.
    3. Woolcock, Michael & Narayan, Deepa, 2000. "Social Capital: Implications for Development Theory, Research, and Policy," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 15(2), pages 225-249, August.
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    2. Berry, Helen Louise & Rodgers, Bryan & Dear, Keith B.G., 2007. "Preliminary development and validation of an Australian community participation questionnaire: Types of participation and associations with distress in a coastal community," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(8), pages 1719-1737, April.
    3. Johnell, Kristina & Lindström, Martin & Melander, Arne & Sundquist, Jan & Eriksson, Charli & Merlo, Juan, 2006. "Anxiolytic-hypnotic drug use associated with trust, social participation, and the miniaturization of community: A multilevel analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(5), pages 1205-1214, March.
    4. Poortinga, Wouter, 2006. "Social capital: An individual or collective resource for health?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 292-302, January.
    5. Engström, Karin & Mattsson, Fredrik & Järleborg, Anders & Hallqvist, Johan, 2008. "Contextual social capital as a risk factor for poor self-rated health: A multilevel analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(11), pages 2268-2280, June.
    6. Takakura, Minoru, 2011. "Does social trust at school affect students' smoking and drinking behavior in Japan?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(2), pages 299-306, January.
    7. Yamaoka, Kazue, 2008. "Social capital and health and well-being in East Asia: A population-based study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(4), pages 885-899, February.
    8. Mithen, Johanna & Aitken, Zoe & Ziersch, Anne & Kavanagh, Anne M., 2015. "Inequalities in social capital and health between people with and without disabilities," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 26-35.

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