Social Capital The well-known phrase, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know that counts,” can describe social capital. Robert Putman, a social capital theorist, defines the term as the “features of social organization such as networks, social norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit.” Furthermore, social capital splits into two platforms: bonding and bridging. Bridging social capital is the type of networking or ties created between groups or individuals that are different from one another. While bonding social capital occurs among individuals who have many similarities, especially demographically. Some social capital commentators have proposed that social capital, especially in the United
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Paul W. Speer and Joseph Hughey’s “Community Organizing: an ecological route to empowerment and power” theorizes empowerment as a manifestation of social power on multiple tiers of organization: individual, organizational, and community. Through their assessment of the Pacific Institute for Community Organization, a framework of processes and common outcomes at each level of the organization is identified to better understand the benefits of using community organization as well as the three main principles that guide the organizational cycle.
Principles of Community Organizing
1. “Empowerment can only be realized through organization.” Collectives created to respond to community issues must be able to compete against the institutions and organizations, which traditionally hold power within a community. Power grants channels for the implementation of self-interest.
2. “Social power is built on the strengths of interpersonal relationships.” The creation of strong social networks focused on shared values and interpersonal connections can continually adapt to changes in community issues while issue-focused groups typically dissolve after addressing a
Paul W. Speer and Joseph Hughey’s “Community Organizing: an ecological route to empowerment and power” theorizes empowerment as a manifestation of social power on multiple tiers of organization: individual, organizational, and community. Through their assessment of the Pacific Institute for Community Organization, a framework of processes and common outcomes at each level of the organization is identified to better understand the benefits of using community organization as well as the three main principles that guide the organizational cycle.
Principles of Community Organizing
1. “Empowerment can only be realized through organization.” Collectives created to respond to community issues must be able to compete against the institutions and organizations, which traditionally hold power within a community. Power grants channels for the implementation of self-interest.
2. “Social power is built on the strengths of interpersonal relationships.” The creation of strong social networks focused on shared values and interpersonal connections can continually adapt to changes in community issues while issue-focused groups typically dissolve after addressing a