Regional Difference in Social Capital and Its Impact on Regional Economic Growth in China

Social capital has played an increasingly important role in regional development.China is a country with high stocks of social capital.Using several different indicators of social capital,this study tries to research the regional disparities in social capital and the influence of social capital on economic growth of China in 1978-2004.Measuring social capital with indicators of associations,charities and blood donation rates,this study finds significant regional disparities in social capital at provincial level in China.Those indicators for social capital are highly correlated with regional economic performance.Statistical analysis shows that social capital has a significant and positive effect on a long-term provincial economic growth.This relationship exists after controlling policy,macro location factors,and per capita GDP in the initial year.The empirical findings indicate that institutions,culture and social relations are critical for regional development in China.Therefore,the creation and support of social capital should be paid more attention to when making regional policy.

Influence of social capital on the livelihood strategies of farmers under China's rural revitalization strategy in poor mountain areas: A case study of the Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture

Social capital in the form of social resources or social networks is one of the most important livelihood capital of farmers, which can increase the labor productivity of poor households and increase income. It is important to explore the reasons underlying the livelihood strategy choices of farmers from the perspective of social capital under China’s rural revitalization strategy. In this study, the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, a povertystricken mountainous area in southwestern China, was selected as the case study area, and multivariable linear regression models were constructed to analyze the influence of social capital on livelihood strategies.The results are as follows:(1) Individual social capital had a positive effect on non-agricultural livelihood strategies. On average, with a one-unit increase in individual social capital, the ratio of farmers’ nonagricultural income to total productive income(Income_Rto) increased by 0.002% and 0.062%,respectively. Collective social capital, with the Peasant Economic Cooperation Organization(PECO) as the carrier, had a negative effect on the non-agricultural livelihood strategies of farmers;on average, with a oneunit increase in PECO, Income_Rto decreased by approximately 0.053%. However, this effect was only significant in the river valley area.(2) The income differences among the different livelihood strategy types were explained by the livelihood strategy choices of farmers. As non-agricultural work can bring more benefits, the labor force exhibited one-way migration from villages to cities, resulting in a lack of the subject of rural revitalization. It is necessary to implement effective measures to highlight the role of PECO in increasing agricultural income for farmers. Finally,based on the above conclusions,policy recommendations with respect to livelihood transformation of farmers and rural sustainable development are discussed.

Influence of social capital on farmer household income gap:total effect and structural effect

Based on the survey data of typical villages in Shaanxi Province,China,the effect of social capital on the income gap of farmers' households was analyzed using the Shapley value of the total amount of social capital and the social capital structure.The results show the following:first,social capital can expand the household income gap,and the effect of this index on the household income gap is 7.54%.Second,the indexes of the social capital dimension can expand the household income gap,and the structural effects of the household income gap on social networks,social trust,and social participation are 3.17%,3.64%,and 0.65%,respectively.Third,no dimension of the path is the same as the effect on the household income gap.

Influence of Social Capital on Rural Tourism Development

In order to explore the relationship between social capital and rural tourism development effect and improve the development of rural tourism,this study takes Liutai Village in Shandong Province,9 villages of Mangxin Township and Yuanyi Village in Xinjiang as examples and conducts empirical research.The result of exploratory factor analysis shows that social capital is divided into bonding type and bridging type,which have different characteristics and functions.The result of multiple regression analysis shows that social capital of both the two types has a significant positive impact on the development of rural tourism.In the current process of rural tourism development,the positive influence of bonding social capital is greater than that of bridging social capital.Based on the results of the empirical analysis,this paper puts forward the countermeasures and suggestions for the development of rural tourism.

Social capital and rural institutions in Kenya Is Machakos unique？

In Eastern Africa, the experience of Machakos has been heavily debated between Malthusians and the more optimistic Boserupians. Machakos was the epitome of overpopulation and resource degradation in the 1950s, but has since thrived. The Boserupians view Machakos as an illustration of how population growth can solve rather than exacerbate the vicious cycle of poverty and resource degradation. The question arises whether Machakos is unique. This study investigates the role of social capital in Machakos. Using principal component analysis, the authors estimate various dimensions of social capital and find significant differences between Machakos and two other Kenyan regions particularly when it comes to the formation of associations.

The Cross Sectional Study on the Association between Sexual Awareness and Cognitive Social Capital among High School Students in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Purpose: We aimed to reveal the association between cognitive social capital and sexual awareness among high school students in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where adolescent premarital sex is considered to be wide-spreading as consequence of socioeconomic changes, in comparison to our previous study in Hanoi, 2012. Methods: We conducted a questionnaire-based survey and a cross sectional study in late 2014, with 2051 eleventh graders at three high schools in Ho Chi Minh City. Complete data was received from 1935 respondents (94.3%). We assessed basic attributes, sexual knowledge, sexual awareness, sexual experience of peers, cognitive social capital such as a sense of community belonging, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem score. After the independent t-test and multiple logistic regression analyses on sexual awareness were performed assigning trivalent Rosenberg Self-Esteem score, sexual knowledge, and sexual experience of peers as independent variables (model 1), followed by analysis adjusted for cognitive social capital (model 2). This study was approved by Japanese Red Cross Akita College of Nursing (No. 24-003). Results: Of 1935 respondents, 99.9% were 16 or 17 years old and mostly from nuclear families (71.1%). Of all participants, 45.8% in males and 49.4% in females correctly answered on sexual knowledge, 47.6% of males and 28.3% of females accepted premarital sex, 60.0% of male and 65.0% of females knew peers with sexual intercourse experience, and 78.1% of males and 79.1% of females agreed with a sense of community belonging. When multiple logistic regression analyses performed, in model 1, sexual awareness was significantly associated with Rosenberg Self-Esteem score in female. In model 2, above association disappeared but significant association was found between sexual awareness and cognitive social capital in both sexes OR (95% CI), male 1.39 (1.05 - 1.84), female 1.99 (1.49 - 2.65). Discussion: The conservative traditional culture in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City seems to be similar to the concept of cognitive social capital and it is considered to have influenced sexual awareness of high school students in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Conclusion: Cognitive social capital is significantly associated with sexual awareness among high school students in urban areas of Vietnam.

Social networks, social capital,and the use of information technology in the urban village:A study of community groups in Manchester, England

Underresourced or socially excluded communities in Manchester, England demonstrate active use of information technologies despite continuing digital inequalities.A systematic look at 31 grassroots community groups, at how they use IT and who helps them, reveals possible mechanisms towards a more inclusive network society. Social network and social capital theories help make apparent how people are self-organizing with respect to information technology in ways that reach across ethnicity, class, gender, and generations for skilled help, yet stay close to their strong-tie, bonding-social-capital networks, relying largely on people in their own communities. Based on 25 measures of IT use, the groups fall into three progressively more extensive categories: Downloaders(using computers and the Internet, particularly e-mails), uploaders(maintaining a group web presence), and cyberorganizers(helping others to become uploaders or downloaders). These categories align with each individual group's purpose.

Social Capital and Depressive Ill-Health——An Evaluative Approach to the Implementation of the Chronic Care Model (CCM)

Background: Social capital has been described as a person’s sense of belonging as a result of the number and type of relationships she/he has, in which trust and reciprocity are especially important. Aim: To illuminate older persons’ experiences of social capital and depressive ill-health after implementation of the CCM. Methods: Data were collected from nine participants resident in two districts of Norway by means of individual in-depth interviews. A qualitative hermeneutic analysis was performed. Results: Two overall themes, desire for a guardian and a wish for independence despite being dependent, and two themes emerging from the analysis. The first theme—searching for protection was based on three sub-themes overwhelmed by the emotional pain of other people, a sense of exclusion and worries about the future, while the second theme—the need for a relationship with trustworthy persons comprised two sub-themes, namely, emotional pain was not understood and powerlessness to change the situation. The result of this study highlights the need for greater understanding on the part of healthcare professionals of how older persons manage their social relationships. Healthcare professionals require more knowledge about how negative self-beliefs held by older persons suffering from emotional pain, which can lead to reduced ability to trust other people. Another consequence is that fear of being dependent on other people can result in unwillingness to admit the need for help. Conclusion: This study highlights the lack of social capital in older persons who suffer from depressive ill-health. The implementation of the CCM does not appear to improve the situation. Older persons need to be more aware of their social needs and productive interactions in order to protect themselves and obtain support from their social network.

TOWARDS A FOURTH ECOLOGY: Social and Environmental Sustainability with Architecture and Urban Design

The architect has always been interested in the social and cultural dimensions while creating architecture for people to last,with the help of building science and technology.Science could solve some problems,but is yet to solve many of the problems of urbanization in human history.Perhaps many of the problems can only be solved with careful understanding of human behavior,social intercourse,and economics in relation to the urban environments and organizations,and the natural environment simultaneously.There seemed to be a divide between the way an engineer and an architect think and practice in making a building and a piece of architecture,where the former is highly mathematical,and the latter deals with cultural poetics and a whole range of social and technical issues of which the physics of the environment is but one dimension(Bay and Ong 2006).It may appear natural in this age of environmental crisis and rapid urban development in many cities that the current Ecologically Sustainable Design(ESD)system,which is mainly based on science of the physical world,would be readily accepted by the architect in practice and education.Many of the current ESD guidelines can contribute to the avoidance of a further decay of the earth,thus preventing droughts and floods,etc.,and hope to maintain the status quo of the environment for all the“business as usual”social-economic activities.With more world leaders of the developed world agreeing in principle on the need to address climate change,perhaps a lot more will be done based on the engineering models for ecologically friendly planning,commerce,industry,and design.There could be a cognitive bias3 of overconfidence and systemic error that the predominantly engineering focus to keep climate change at bay will solve the problem of sustainability in various parts of the world.The current limited concept of“ecological”or the“green”design does contribute to sustainability,but is quite limited and not the whole picture of sustainability.The concept of sustainability involves the dynamic and complex balance of environmental(man-made and natural),economic and social dimensions,from many earlier sources including the theory of the Third Ecology(Chermayeff and Tzonis 1971)about social ecology directly related to the man-made urban fabric,and recently,the much accepted pervasive framework of the Brundtland Commission Report 1987:Our Common Future,which included more discussions about the interrelatedness with economic equity and the natural environment.Foremost and ultimately it is about promoting and ensuring social quality of living now and sustaining that into the future,for all nations,the rich and the poor,through solving the matrix of social,economic,and environmental problems.From the perspective of the theory and practice of architecture,this paper discusses the following issues:1.Belief in science,disenchantment,symbol of failure of modern architecture-Pruitt Igoe;2.An anti-thesis to Pruitt Igoe-Bedok Court;3.The cultural concerns and preparametric design thinking process of the architect;4.Architecture,social science,cultural value,social capital,behavior,and ESD;5.A Fourth Ecology,multi-disciplinary research by architects,social scientists,and engineers.

Effect of Social Capital on Performance of Smallholder Farmer Organizations in Western Kenya

Development literature has recently promoted the use of producer organizations in linking farmers to better-paying commodity markets. However, empirical studies find mixed performance of such organizations. This study examines the producer organizations＇ internal factors that may explain the differences in the performance of producer organizations. The study specifically analyzes the role of social capital, within a producer organization, on the performance of such organization using quantitative techniques. The level of commercialization is used as proxy of organization＇s performance. The study finds that social capital positively affects the performance of producer organizations. These findings imply that development strategies that target the promotion commercialization of smallholder agriculture through producer organizations should pay attention to the internal factors within such organizations.

An Extended Fuzzy-DEMATEL System for Factor Analyses on Social Capital Selection in the Renovation of Old Residential Communities

China has been promoting the renovation of old residential communities vigorously.Due to the financial pressure of the government and the sustainability of the renovation of old residential communities,public-private partnerships(PPP)have already gained attention.The selection of social capital is key to improving the efficiency of the PPP model in renovating old residential communities.In order to determine the influencing factors of social capital selection in the renovation of old residential communities,this paper aims to find an effective approach and analyze these factors.In this paper,a fuzzy decision-making and trial evaluation laboratory(fuzzy-DEMATEL)technique is extended and amore suitable systemis developed for the selection of social capital using the existing group decisionmaking theory.In the first stage,grounded theory is used to extract the unabridged key influencing factors for social capital selection in the renovation of old residential communities.Secondly,by considering the impact of expert weights,the key influencing factors are identified.The interactions within these influencing factors are discussed and the credibility of the results is verified by sensitivity analysis.Finally,these key influencing factors are sorted by importance.Based on the results,the government should focus on a technical level,organizationalmanagement abilities,corporate reputation,credit status,etc.This study provides the government with a theoretical basis and a methodology for evaluating social capital selection.

The association of various social capital indicators and physical activity participation among Turkish adolescents

Background: Physical activity participation(PAP) has been proven to improve health and promote optimal growth among adolescents. However,most adolescents do not meet the current physical activity(PA) recommendations in Turkey. The role of the social environment and social factors on PAP is being increasingly recognized. Although social capital(SC) indicators have been examined in high-income countries, there are few studies on developing countries. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between SC indicators and PAP among Turkish adolescents.Methods: A survey was conducted among 19 high schools in 4 different cities in Turkey in 2016. A total of 506 female and 729 male high school students participated in this study. The dependent variable was overall PAP, which was measured using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The independent variables included self-perceived family, neighborhood, and school SC. Self-rated health and obesity status, measured by body mass index, were other study covariates in multiple binary logistic regression models. Chi-square tests were used to assess the differences between genders.Results: PAP levels were significantly different between males and females. A higher percentage of males reported PAP(77.4%) compared to females(51.0%). Among males, teacher–student interpersonal trust and informal social control were inversely associated with PAP, while high students interpersonal trust was positively associated with increased odds of PAP. For females, students interpersonal trust was inversely associated with PAP.Conclusion: Various SC indicators are associated with PAP for males and females. These associations are different from findings of studies conducted in developed countries. Therefore, health-promotion interventions and policies should consider gender and different social agents on the social and cultural background to improve PAP among Turkish adolescents.

The role of social resource of indigenous people in local ecological resource management in China: A preliminary case in Zhangye, Northwestern China

Social resources of indigenous people are valuable wealth, including the social norms, the relational network, belief, attitude as well as the social system which is accumulated from generation to generation. Those social resources are very important for local ecological resource management, which can help diffuseness and communion of skills and traditional conservation techniques for conserving and restoring the ecological sites. Social capital is one indicator of social resources, which is accepted widely. In order to investigate the role of social resources of indigenous people in local ecological resource management, the authors studied the relation between social capital of indigenous people and local ecological resource management, taking Zhangye City as an exam-ple. In this paper, social capital of indigenous people is quantified by constructing social capital index, composed of structural so-cial capital and cognitive social capital; local ecological resource management is quantified by constructing 'Grain for Green Pro-ject' performance index. Based on correlation analysis approach and logistic regression analysis approach, the authors analyzed the relation between social capital and 'Grain for Green Project' performance index, as well as the relations between 'Grain for Green Project' performance index and other factors such as per capita net income, medical treatment and so on. Results showed that the correlation between social capital and 'Grain for Green Project' performance index was positive, the coefficient was 0.761, with P<0.01. An increase of 1 unit in social capital is associated with an increase of 1.550 units in 'Grain for Green Project' per-formance. With factor, such as faction, per capita net income, medical treatment, increasing 1 unit, the 'Grain for Green Project' performance index will increase 3.912, 1.039 and 1.005 units, respectively.

Knowledge and Social Capital： Drivers for Sustainable Local Growth

This paper presents a knowledge resources perspective for territorial competitiveness and sustainability. The latter is defined as a pathway promoted by a plurality of public and private actors, in the for-profit and non-profit sectors, who find that relationships and social cohesion are the drivers for the construction of shared territorial governance. This study integrates an extensive literature review with data from longitudinal empirical research. Authors have adopted the methodology of qualitative research-based case study. In particular, this paper focused the analysis on a project of territorial governance promoted in the Marches region of Italy. This region was selected as a case study, because it is emblematic of the Italian context; the territory is characterized by small businesses diffused throughout the socio-economic fabric and by the proactive role taken by local governments. The perspective offers a powerful instrument for raising awareness of the gaps that local policymakers should address through their initiatives in the knowledge economy.

Study on the Influence of Farmer Social Capital on Cooperative Supply Willingness of Agricultural Disaster Reduction Public Goods——Based on the Investigation on 515 Farmers

Based on social capital theory,related factors of three dimensions( structure dimension,cognition dimension and relation dimension) of farmer social capital are taken as independent variables,and famer's willingness to cooperatively supply agricultural disaster reduction public goods is taken as dependent variable. Taking 515 farmers in 27 villages of Hubei Province as investigation objects,the influence of farmer social capital on cooperative supply willingness of agricultural disaster reduction public goods is explored by Logistic regression model. Research results show that social solidarity,common value concept,social trust and reciprocal content have positive impact on farmer's willingness of cooperative supply,while annual household income,number of agricultural disaster reduction public goods and social network have negative impact on farmer's willingness of cooperative supply.

Triangulate the Culture, Economy, and Social Capital （Interdisciplinary Approach）

Following the knowledge revolution, the role of knowledge in economic value creation became much more pronounced. Islamic teachings put emphasis on knowledge-based economy functions. The aim of this study is explanation of being consistent with the science coordination. This study was descriptive-analytic method. The results show that the Islamic teachings emphasize the progress and prosperity of the earth and provide capacity （power） authority, knowledge-based, inclusive approach to the dissemination of knowledge for the benefit of humanity. The important indicators of social capital, trust, collectivity, and cooperation, are affected by belief, opinions, values, and cultural norms and affection depth and strength of them. Progress of the development needs to pay attention to importance of culture and that＇s role in creation of base of interactions of society. Innovation in this research is explanation of being consistent with the knowledge-based Islamic economics that Islamic economics literature has not seen so far.

Social Capital Approach for Explaining Ethnic Conflicts Within a Liberal Society

This paper examines the reasons why many ethnic movements surge in liberal societies-even though these societies are supposed to enable the coexistence of different types of people-and whether it is possible to resolve ethnic conflicts within these societies. Social capital, such as mutual trust, diffusion of information, and social support is used in this discussion, as successful coexistence in a liberal society is only possible when social capital is adequately provided to all people. Since social capital is generated from social networks, minorities want networks that may increase the likelihood that they will attain an adequate level of social capital. They attempt to build such networks by making their cultural symbols recognized by others. Confrontations that result from this kind of movement often cause ethnic conflicts. The key to resolution, then, is whether a broad network can be built, to which all different people are satisfactorily connected. As a result, this paper shows that even though such a resolution is theoretically possible, in reality there are three serious obstacles： （1） people tend to be driven by strong emotions; （2） people cannot accurately estimate the extent of suffering and/or the level of required support; and （3） minorities＇ primary networks are too solidified to be connected suitably to the wider network. These findings will contribute to the further argument of what conditions should be met in order to take feasible measures to resolve ethnic conflicts within a liberal society.

The Power of Social Capital in Massive Multiplayer Online Games＂ Cooperation and Cronyism in World of Warcraft

The number of people playing Massive Multiplayer Online Games （MMOGs） is growing steadily, yet there are limited studies on the social impact that this online activity has. This research, using both quantitative and qualitative data, focused on whether users of the most popular MMOG, World of Warcraft （WOW）, exhibited behaviors of social capital in their online gaming activity and whether there was any correlation to offiine social capital. The findings indicated that cooperation provided the best indicator to make a correlation about a gamer＇s offiine social capital behaviors. One conclusion, stemming from this is that, in virtual worlds, the added social capital can lead to cronyism and help those in power maintain the status quo.

Study of Social Capital of KONI Community in the Sports Development in Central Java Indonesia

Indonesian National Sport Committee, hereinafter called KONI, is the government body which has the authority to organize sport development in Indonesia. This study aims to analyze the social capital of regional KONI in Central Java which potentially support the implementation of the National Sport System Law. It also aims to analyze the relevant strategy to empower the social energy of KONI and to design the most appropriate model of KONI to solve problems raised after the law imposed. This study used qualitative approach with the idea of learning from people. This approach is a tool to understand the reality which moves the social capital of KONl. The result describes that the activities inside KONI reflect the reality of social capital. KONI as the social capital is a need for the development of the productive cooperation in the society. The existence of the article 40 might influence the characteristics of KONI as the social capital. The model of KONI as an organization of sport should be built in five potential elements： （1） democracy as an ideology, （2） freedom as a purpose, （3） empowerment as a function, （4） social justice as policy, and （5） discretion as a method.

Bridging Sociality and New Media Practice as a Lever to Intercultural Competency

This paper is based on the findings of a survey on 120 students involved in the Interdisciplinary Course on Intercultural Competences （ICIC）, a three-year EU Lifelong Intensive Program project aimed at developing intercultural competency in the education, social work and health care professions. The Program approached intercultural competency as a culturally aware ability to cope with unfamiliar situations continuously arising in the current ever-changing society, in which learning has become an ＂endemic condition＂, and the new media have created symbolic resources for actively expressing and constructing identities as an in-progress and negotiated project. Intercultural competency is therefore rethought from a holistic perspective as a part of an educational mission that particularly values one＇s communicative and social experiences as a strategic resource for facilitating learning processes and enhancing professional competency. The presented data show sociality as a clustering factor for intercultural learning and displays a factorial structure, from which a model for intercultural education is inferred, in which bridging social capital, media practice and reflective attitude become crucial for gaining and valuing competency in terms of human capital.