ABOUT THIS
PROJECT : E2POWER
Overview.
Social capital is charged with a range of potential beneficial effects on political, economic and social aspects of individuals and community. Numerous studies have been carried out to make sense of the concept, its measurement and application. As a concept of context-specific and culturally sensitive, it is necessary to develop local knowledge of social capital, catering the need of Chinese/Asian society.
E2Power Project is a four-year research project funded by the Research Impact Fund (RIF) of the Research Grants Council (RGC). It aims to obtain better understanding of social capital in the Chinese/Asian context and explore ways of enhancing as well as measuring social capital. It is coordinated by Professor Terry Lum Yat Sang, Professor at the Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong.
Project Summary.
Background
Since the early 1990s, social scientists in the West have observed that social networks have powerful effects on societal and individual well-being and have used the term “social capital” to refer to these effects. On the individual level, strong social capital is linked to better educational performance for children, improved labor market outcomes for adults, and better health and mental health for all groups. On the societal level, strong social capital is associated with a lower crime rate, more effective government administration, better economic development, and better public health outcomes.
The most widely used definition refers to social capital as “features of social organization, such as trust, norms, and networks that can improve the efficiency of society by facilitating coordinated actions”. As such, social capital is embedded in social relationship and cannot be understood without reference to the specific culture and context in which social capital is created, mobilized, valued by people and society, and utilized.
The Gaps
Studies of social capital in Chinese societies, however, have mainly borrowed concepts from the West. Due to its context-specific and culturally sensitive nature, it is not clear whether such conceptualization can be fully applied in Chinese/Asian contexts, which are more familial and group orientated than Western cultures.
Furthermore, although the term social capital has become increasingly popular in Hong Kong, there is no systematic understanding on the actual design, strategies, and solutions on how to foster social capital in local context. The multi-dimensionality and ecological attributes e.g. individual level, neighborhood-level, and district/state-level etc. of social capital have complicated the measurement of the concept.
Therefore...
E2 Power is here to fill the aforementioned research gaps!
We aim to...
The expected outcome of the research is to provide the policymakers, philanthropic organizations, social services providers and community stakeholder groups with the locally relevant conceptualizations and intervention protocols of social capital to guide development and implementation of effective public education and program to promote social capital as well as social capital index framework to measure and improve social capital.
Research.
E2Power Project will be divided into three inter-related studies
Study 1: Situation Analysis Study
A three-phased situation analysis study to engage and build consensus among local stakeholders using:
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Document review, focus groups and individual interviews to collect and compile local conceptualizations of social capital in the Chinese/Asian contexts and to generate profiles describing existing social capital in local communities;
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Delphi method to generate consensus on the aspired ideal levels of social capital in local communities among the older adults, young adults and ethnic minorities; and
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A series of Theory of Change (ToC) workshops to develop a local pathway to achieve the aspired levels of social capital in local communities.
Study 2: Community-Based Participatory Research Study
A community-based participatory research study using design-thinking (DT) workshops to identify ways to empower the older adults, young adults, and ethnic minorities, and to co-design actionable community-based solutions that foster social capital. The conceptualization and road map of social capital generated from Study 1 will be used as a framework to guide the DT workshops.
Study 3: Proof of Concept Study
A two-phased proof of concept study to develop protocols for an ecological and individual social capital index in Chinese/Asian communities comprising:
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A survey to collect information related to factors affecting social capital development from local stakeholders in districts as well as indicators for self-reported individual social capital; and
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Participants wearing a tracking device and participating in an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to collect data on their use of public space, activities, and social interactions – potential indicators for objective measures of social capital.
Our Team.
