Social Capital

The way we interact with others, family, friends, neighbours and civic institutions can be measured to determine social capital. Social capital is about engaging with the community you are part of for the benefit of yourself, your family and the people you have around you. It is what binds us together and builds bridges between communities.

Communities have changed over that latter half of the 20^th Century as core institutions of post war society such as trade unions or churches have declined. However, globalisation is creating new and modern forms of community and social interaction.  Communities can now exist without being in the same place, communities of interest for example.

Individuals should be encouraged to increase their social capital and reduce their fear of crime. We need to encourage people to become more involved in their communities because it is a key way for them to know what is happening and then re-engender accurate perceptions about crime and disorder. Increased social capital will give individuals a greater sense of self-empowerment, which will increase their feelings of security.

Security and social order are the first building blocks of social capital for without that sense of security, people find it hard to work with each other. Feelings of greater security can be generated through the extended police family, such as community support officers or neighbourhood wardens. Such guardians of the community also play a part in maintaining social order. However, communities must also play their part and it is through the efforts of individuals that communities become stronger.

The Community Inclusion Model expands on the concept of social capital further because it emphasises the need for communities to come together to take ownership of their problems and develop their own solutions with support from other stakeholders. We need to invest in those community institutions which bring together people with different cultural backgrounds and communities which aim to support vulnerable people such as older people and those with disabilities.