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Defined Terms and Documents 'Aboriginal Teenager Life Skills' RTV Social Inclusion Early Intervention Programme
Social Capital means "the ability of people to work together for common purposes in groups and organizations" (Fukuyama 1995, p. 10) which involve social relations that achieve productive benefits. Social Capital is "about the value of social networks, bonding similar people and bridging between diverse people, with norms of reciprocity" (Dekker and Uslaner 2001; Uslaner 2001) who share a common goal(s. Adler and Kwon (2002) identified that the core intuition guiding social capital research is that the goodwill that others have toward us is a valuable resource. As such they define Social Capital as "the goodwill available to individuals or groups. Its source lies in the structure and content of the actor's social relations. Its effects flow from the information, influence, and solidarity it makes available to the actor" (Adler and Kwon 2002, p. 23). Dekker and Uslaner (2001) posited that Social Capital "is fundamentally about how people interact with each other". The 2000 Sydney Olympics could not have been anywhere near as successful without a large contingent of highly committed volunteers who diligently performed to their utmost. The official figure was placed at 46,967 Vollies [21].
Bonding, Bridging and Investment – Important
aspects of a National Social Capital Policy
Strategy
notes: "Social
capital is a valuable concept built upon – but not simply reiterating – many
traditional theories of social and political integration. Its value lies in
asserting not only the importance of social ties in their own right,
but also that such ties are
resources that can be built up or depleted, just like other forms of capital.
On a positive note, despite the fact that social capital has attracted
numerous definitions,1 most appear now to be consolidating around a focus upon networks and norms
of trust and reciprocity. The official OECD definition has honed in
on this focus, and will serve as a working definition here: Despite increasing definitional clarity, however, measurements have continued to proliferate in numerous Australia surveys, with items such as safety, proactivity and tolerance of diversity, citizenship and disposition, assistance and confidence in support, and many potential others being included. Some headway towards consensus is being made, however. The most specific survey on social capital within Australia, the Australian Institute of Family Studies’ ‘Social Capital and Citizenship Project’ focuses solidly upon networks and norms.
Social capital is a useful concept to incorporate the value of social
interaction into society, community and economy
when it - Some degree of regulation of local investment is one potential means to build social capital accounting for these issues. If instituted with sufficient scope – as a federal government policy - and in a manner that incorporates ethical and pragmatic auditing concerns (overseen by a body with sufficient powers of audit and punishment), some degree of investment regulation offers the best solution to balancing, rather than crowding out, the different and often competing forms of social capital. Such a strategy, properly conceived, would also have the benefits of greater efficiency than tax and spend solutions, and a greater sense of local and public ownership of the workings and results." When Social Capital seeks to foster important social outcomes, including increased employment, higher education, voluntary activity, and increased housing for peoples in low socio-economic areas, it constitutes Social Inclusion.
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