Download or read book Social Capital and the Transition to Democracy written by Gabriel Badescu and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2004-06-01 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The concept of social capital has been used by political scientists to explain both the transition to democracy in Eastern Europe and the decline of social cohesion in Western societies. This edited collection presents the latest quantitative research on how post-communist countries are adapting to Western models of society. The book combines theoretical and institutional analysis with detailed case-studies looking at Russia, Poland, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Romania and the former East Germany.
Download or read book Trust and Transitions written by Joseph D. Lewandowski and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2009-01-23 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Employing a range of empirical and theoretical approaches, contributors to this volume examine the nature and function of trust from within the framework of social capital theory. The empirically oriented chapters focus on post-Communist countries, including Serbia and Montenegro, Romania and, especially, the Czech Republic. Indeed, the collection contains an entire section devoted to analyzing trust and transition in the wake of the “velvet revolution.” The theoretical chapters engage the work of Tocqueville, Putnam, and Uslaner, among others, as they seek to clarify and rethink what in fact trust is, where trust originates, the causal relevance of trust for successful marketization and democratization, and the extent to which existing conceptions of social capital can be adequately deployed in diverse contexts. With contributions from noted American and Central European political scientists, sociologists, and philosophers, this book presents an illuminating set of contemporary perspectives on the complex role of trust in times of transition.
Download or read book Social Capital and European Democracy written by Marco Maraffi and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2008-08-28 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The authors of this work examine the dominant view that voluntary activity promotes social capital and hence good government, but also explore alternative models for the creation of social capital. Theoretical discussion is combined with detailed case studies to provide a new explanation of : * the origins and nature of social capital * its effects on political participation and policy-making * the role of the voluntary sector Contributors go on to examine the possibility that current changes in the voluntary sector may in fact undermine social capital and consider the consequences. This book is an important step forward in this rapidly growing field of research and adds a unique European perspective to a debate which has been largely US-focussed.
Download or read book The Handbook of Social Capital written by Dario Castiglione and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2008-04-17 with total page 745 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Social capital is a relatively new concept in the social sciences. In the last twenty or so years it has come to indicate that networks of social relationships represent a 'resource' for both the individual and society, since they provide support for the individual and facilitate collective action. Although this is not an entirely new idea, the more systematic way in which social capital captures such an intuition has created a new theoretical paradigm and helped to develop a seriesof innovative research programmes in politics, economics, and the study of human well-being. The concept has gained currency beyond academia, extending its influence to political and policy-making circles at local, national, and international levels. It has also affected the way in which socialsurveys are conceived and public policies assessed. As the idea of social capital has spread, the literature about it has increased exponentially. After twenty years of rapid expansion it is time for a more considered and critical assessment of how the original concept has been adapted and refined, and how successful its application has been. The Handbook of Social Capital intends to do precisely that. It offers a state-of-the-art view of discussions about the concept of social capitaland the way in which it has been applied in empirical research.The organization of the Handbook reflects this intention by focusing on conceptual development and analysis in the first part; by identifying two main areas of research in which social capital has favoured the development of new and influential research programmes - political participation in democratic societies, and economic development; and by exploring the more normative and policy oriented consequences of social capital. All chapters comprising the volume were specifically writtenfor the Handbook by some of the main experts in the fields. The book provides authoritative and innovative introduction to the study of social capital.
Download or read book The Myth of Civil Society written by O. Encarnación and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-12-25 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Almost irrespective of the geographic setting, the debate about the future of democracy in post-authoritarian societies is increasingly tied to the strength of civil society. A strong civil society is thought to be crucial to the emergence of successful democracies while a weak civil society is deemed the cause of flawed or frozen democracies. Using contrasting evidence from Spain and Brazil, this study challenges these widespread assumptions about contemporary democratization. It argues that it is the performance of political institutions rather than the configuration of civil society that determines the consolidation of democratic regimes.
Download or read book Active Social Capital written by Anirudh Krishna and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The idea of social capital allows scholars to assess the quality of relationships among people within a particular community and show how that quality affects the ability to achieve shared goals. With evidence collected from sixty-nine villages in India, Krishna investigates what social capital is, how it operates in practice, and what results it can be expected to produce. Does social capital provide a viable means for advancing economic development, promoting ethnic peace, and strengthening democratic governance? The world is richer than ever before, but more than a fifth of its people are poor and miserable. Civil wars and ethnic strife continue to mar prospects for peace. Democracy is in place in most countries, but large numbers of citizens do not benefit from it. How can development, peace and democracy become more fruitful for the ordinary citizen? This book shows how social capital is a crucial dimension of any solution to these problems.
Download or read book Democracies in Flux written by Robert D. Putnam and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2002-08-15 with total page 523 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In his national bestseller Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam illuminated the decline of social capital in the US. Now, in Democracies in Flux, Putnam brings together a group of leading scholars who broaden his findings as they examine the state of social capital in eight advanced democracies around the world. The book is packed with many intriguing revelations. The contributors note, for instance, that waning participation in unions, churches, and political parties seems to be virtually universal, a troubling discovery as these forms of social capital are especially important for empowering less educated, less affluent portions of the population. Indeed, in general, the researchers found more social grouping among the affluent than among the working classes and they find evidence of a younger generation that is singularly uninterested in politics, distrustful both of politicians and of others, cynical about public affairs, and less inclined to participate in enduring social organizations. Yet social capital appears as strong as ever in Sweden, where 40% of the adult population participate in "study circles"--small groups who meet weekly for educational discussions. Social capital--good will, fellowship, sympathy, and social intercourse--is vitally important both for the health of our communities and for our own physical and psychological well being. Offering a panoramic look at social capital around the world, this book makes an important contribution to our understanding of these phenomena and why they are important in today's world.
Download or read book Social Capital Construction and Governance in Central Asia written by Timur Dadabaev and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-04-28 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This cutting edge collection focuses on the nature of civil society and its role in facilitating governance in Central Asia, considering local implications related to the concept of social capital and civil society in the Uzbek context. It discusses the complexity of the notion of social capital in post-Soviet Uzbekistan, detailing the challenges and pressures facing the Uzbek people.Challenging prevailing views on post-Soviet political transitions, the book demonstrates that successful transition to democracy and rule of law cannot be accomplished unless the concerns, fears, frustrations and local understandings of the desired political system are heard, registered and carefully interpreted. Offering a comparative study of civil society and social capital in Asia, this collection is a key read not only for scholars and students in civil governance and post-soviet transitions, but also aid agencies, foreign governments, and international organisations working with civil society groups.
Download or read book Social Capital and Participation in Everyday Life written by Paul Dekker and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2003-12-16 with total page 249 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This timely volume puts emphasis on the effect of social capital on everyday life: how the routines of daily life lead people to get involved in their communities. Focussing on its micro-level causes and consequences, the book's international contributors argue that social capital is fundamentally concerned with the value of social networks and about how people interact with each other. The book suggests that different modes of participation have different consequences for creating - or destroying - a sense of community or participation. The diversity of countries, institutions and groups dealt with - from Indian castes to Dutch churches, from highly competent 'everyday makers' in Scandinavia to politics-avoiding Belgian women and Irish villagers - offers fascinating case studies, and theoretical reflections for the present debates about civil society and democracy.
Download or read book Social Capital Civic Engagement and Democratization in Kurdistan written by Hewa Haji Khedir and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-03-16 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines social capital and transition to democracy in Kurdistan. By utilizing the growing literature and Social Capital Theory, the project presents a different perspective on challenges that surrounded the process of transition to democracy in KRI. The work is based on a bottom-up approach as it unpacks the influences of political culture on the establishment of democratic institutions and norms in a conflicting context. The author splits the concept into three main components: trust, social networks and civic engagement and tests them imperially in the context of KRI. The monograph will interest graduate students, researchers and policy makers in the fields of political science, sociology and Middle Eastern Studies.
Download or read book Social Capital and the Transition to Democracy written by Gabriel Badescu and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2004-06 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This edited collection presents the latest quantitative research on how post-communist countries are adapting to Western models of society.
Download or read book Making Russian Democracy Work written by Christopher Marsh and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A study of the prospects for further democratization in the Russian Federation. Analyzes various indicators of the degree of socio- economic modernization across 89 regions of the Federation, and examines evidence of sufficient social capital to make democracy work. By focusing on social and economic factors which help serve as the basis for democracy, this study readily lends itself to usefulness in comparing Russia with other political systems. Marsh is associate director of Slavic and East European studies and assistant professor of political science at Baylor University.
Download or read book Trust in Contemporary Society written by and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2019-07-22 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Trust in Contemporary Society, by well-known trust researchers, deals with conceptual, theoretical and social interaction analyses, historical data on societies, national surveys or cross-national comparative studies, and methodological issues related to trust. The authors are from a variety of disciplines: psychology, sociology, political science, organizational studies, history, and philosophy, and from Britain, the United States, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Australia, Germany, and Japan. They bring their vast knowledge from different historical and cultural backgrounds to illuminate contemporary issues of trust and distrust. The socio-cultural perspective of trust is important and increasingly acknowledged as central to trust research. Accordingly, future directions for comparative trust research are also discussed. Contributors include: Jack Barbalet, John Brehm, Geoffrey Hosking, Robert Marsh, Barbara A. Misztal, Guido Möllering, Bart Nooteboom, Ken J. Rotenberg, Jiří Šafr, Masamichi Sasaki, Meg Savel, Markéta Sedláčková, Jörg Sydow, Piotr Sztompka.
Download or read book Making Russian Democracy Work written by Christopher Marsh and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Investigating Social Capital written by Sanjeev Prakash and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2004-05-25 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Papers presented at the Investigating Social Capital Workshop, held at Solstrand during 18-21 May 2000.
Download or read book Making Democracy Work Better written by Richard A. Couto and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2003-07-11 with total page 364 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The decade of the 1980s marked a triumph for market capitalism. As politicians of all stripes sought to reinvent government in the image of private enterprise, they looked to the voluntary sector for allies to assuage the human costs of reductions in public policies of social welfare. This book details the "savage side" of market capitalism in Appalachia and explains the social, political, and economic roles that mediating structures play in mitigating it. Profiling the work of twenty-three such mediating structures--community-based organizations that battled to provide social safety nets, fight environmental assaults, and upgrade the education and job skills of Appalachian residents--Richard Couto distills the practical lessons to be found in their successes and shortcomings. Couto argues that a broader set of democratic dimensions be used in taking the measure of civil society and public policy in the twenty-first century. He shows that mediating structures promote the democratic prospect of reduced inequality and increased communal bonds when they provide and advocate for new forms and increased amounts of social capital--the public goods and moral resources that we invest in one another as members of a community.
Download or read book Social Capital and Associations in European Democracies written by William A. Maloney and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2007-01-24 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique book offers an empirical assessment of how social and political involvement relates to theories of citizenship and democracy and is a companion volume to Citizenship and Involvement in European Democracies.
