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:

social.capital@ons.gov.uk

• Webpage:

www.statistics.gov.uk/socialcapital