Conceptualising and operationalising social capital in
government surveysPenny Babb
Office for National Statistics
• What is social capital• Measurement issues• Five dimensions of social capital• Harmonised Question Set• ONS work programme
What is social capital?
– Social energy– Community spirit / good neighbourliness– Social bonds– Civic virtue– Community networks– Social ozone / Social glue– Social resources– Informal & formal networks
Types of social capital
• Bonding: Sociological Super Glue
• Bridging: Sociological WD40
• Linking
Adopt a definition
Networks together with shared norms, values and
understandings that facilitate co-operation within or among
groups
OECD, 2001
Why measure social capital?
• ‘High social capital’ (social trust & networks) linked to desirable policy outcomes:
– Lower crime rates
– Better health and improved longevity
– Better educational achievement
– Greater income equality
– Enhanced economic achievement
Why measure social capital?
• Policy interest in improving community well being
– Civil renewal:• Local people involved in identifying and
solving problems affecting their community
– Community cohesion:• Promoting a sense of belonging• Valuing diversity in others• Similar life opportunities
Measurement issues
• Nebulous concept – very difficult to quantify
• Multi-faceted– Identify underlying dimensions
• Cross-cultural comparisons– e.g. volunteering means different things to different
people – context specific
• Community attribute– but measured in household surveys at individual level
and then aggregating
Why harmonise?
• Enables consistent measurement, analysis and interpretation
• Better understanding of society – Trends over time– Comparison between local and national studies
Five main aspects of social capital
– social participation
• involvement in groups & voluntary activities, religious activity
– civic participation
• voting, taking action on local or national issues, writing to council or MP
Five main aspects of social capital
– social networks and support
• contact with friends & relatives, frequency of contact, exchange of help, number living close by
– reciprocity and trust
• giving and receiving favours, trust in other people – like you and not like you, trust in institutions, shared values
Five main aspects of social capital
– views about the local area
• physical environment, facilities in the area, enjoyment in living in the area, concern about anti-social behaviour
Harmonised question set
• Standardised set of questions• Agreed by a cross-department working
group• Drew on earlier measures, including
HDA/GHS, HO Citizenship Survey• Two forms:
– Full question set (around 50 questions)– Core question set (15 questions)
Harmonised question set
• For use in household surveys:– Run in GHS 2004
– To be run on:• HO Citizenship Survey 2007,
• Survey of English Housing,
• Health Survey for England (older people module) 2005,
• Families and Children Survey 2005
• Also being used in local surveys:– Liverpool and Camden councils
ONS work programme
• Bridging social capital
– Literature review, plus list of questions specific to bridging
• Conversion of HQS from CAPI to self-completion
• Trust and participation in diverse communities
• Analysis of GHS 2004 module and publication of report
– Baseline data on dimensions of social capital in GB
For more information
• Email address:
• Webpage:
www.statistics.gov.uk/socialcapital
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