Bill Reimer (7/3/2016) 1 Social Capital in Rural Canada Bill Reimer, Concordia University

Bill Reimer (7/3/2016) 2 Outline CRRF and the NRE Project CRRF and the NRE Project What is social capital? What is social capital? Why is it important? Why is it important? What is special about social capital in rural Canada? What is special about social capital in rural Canada? What are we learning about it? What are we learning about it? What do we need to know? What do we need to know?

Bill Reimer (7/3/2016) 3 CRRF …A National Network …an International Network

Bill Reimer (7/3/2016) 4 What We Have Done Macro analysis using census and survey data Macro analysis using census and survey data 32 field sites – a ‘Rural Observatory’ 32 field sites – a ‘Rural Observatory’  Local economies (SMEs, Coops, Entrepreneurship)  Social capacity (governance, 3 rd sector, services, communication)  Social exclusion (social cohesion)  1995 Household Interviews (20 sites) Web Site (nre.concordia.ca) Web Site (nre.concordia.ca) Over 100 documents: books, papers, reports, flyers Over 100 documents: books, papers, reports, flyers

Bill Reimer (7/3/2016) 5 NRE Sample Frame Dimensions exposure to global economies exposure to global economies stability of the local economy stability of the local economy adjacency to metro regions adjacency to metro regions social and institutional capacity social and institutional capacity leading or lagging status leading or lagging status

Global Exposure Economic Stability Metro Adjacency Instit.CapacityCellLaggingCellLeading LowHighLowLow0Twillingae1 Arctic Bay High2Springhill3Girouxville HighLow4 Indian Brook 5 Okanese 82 High6Tweed7 Cap à L’Aigle LowLowLow8Neguac9 Upper Liard High10Benito11 Lot 16 HighLow12 Pic Mobert 13 N. Plantagenet High14Ferintosh15Carden HighHighLowLow16Tascereau17 Port Alice High18Armagh19Seguin HighLow20 St Roch de Mékinac 21Mackenzie High22Winterton23 St Damase LowLowLow24Blissfield25 Tumbler Ridge High26Spalding27 Wood River HighLow28 Ste Francoise 29Rhineland High30Hussar31Usborne

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Bill Reimer (7/3/2016) 8 How can rural communities (re)vitalize? By challenging the conditions that have contributed to devitalization By challenging the conditions that have contributed to devitalization By organizing their assets and resources to do the things they consider important By organizing their assets and resources to do the things they consider important This ability to organize is: Capacity Capacity transforms assets into valued outcomes

Bill Reimer (7/3/2016) 9 assets/ resources valued outcomes capacity Capacity transforms assets into valued outcomes

ASSETS Economic Capital Human Skills and Abilities Social Capital Natural Resources PROCESSES Market Bureaucratic Associative Communal VALUED OUTCOMES Economic prosperity Social and political inclusion Environmental stewardship Social and self- worth Health Safety/Security Social Cohesion outcomes can become new assets and liabilities CAPACITY

Bill Reimer (7/3/2016) 11 Social Capital A type of asset or resource (stock) A type of asset or resource (stock) Potentially used for achieving individual or collective outcomes Potentially used for achieving individual or collective outcomes Social assets invested in future production Social assets invested in future production

Bill Reimer (7/3/2016) 12 Social Capital is Capital: that part of production that is reinvested into future production Social Assets become Social Capital depending on how they are used Social Assets become Social Capital depending on how they are used Only the part that is reinvested into future production Only the part that is reinvested into future production Activities individual social Productive Activities reinvested Social Capita l

Bill Reimer (7/3/2016) 13 Social Capital is Social: based on coordinated social action Coordinated through expectations and norms Coordinated through expectations and norms Enforcement formal or informal Enforcement formal or informal Reflected in: Reflected in:  Institutions  Organizations  Networks Bridging vs. Bonding Bridging vs. Bonding

Bill Reimer (7/3/2016) 14 Why is Social Capital Important? Related to: Related to:  Employment  Wealth  Health  Capacity

Bill Reimer (7/3/2016) 15 What is special about rural social capital? Traditional communities: High social capital Traditional communities: High social capital Modern communities: Declining social capital? Modern communities: Declining social capital? OR: OR:  Is the type of social capital changing?

Bill Reimer (7/3/2016) 16 4 Basic Modes of Relating Market relations Market relations Bureaucratic relations Bureaucratic relations Associative relations Associative relations Communal relations Communal relations

Bill Reimer (7/3/2016) 17 Market Relations e.g. commodities, labour, housing markets e.g. commodities, labour, housing markets rights and obligations determined by supply and demand rights and obligations determined by supply and demand Information, tradable assets important Information, tradable assets important contractual relationships contractual relationships Trust: honour agreements Trust: honour agreements

Bill Reimer (7/3/2016) 18 Bureaucratic (Legal) Relations e.g. governments, corporations, legal institutions e.g. governments, corporations, legal institutions rights based on authority and status rights based on authority and status universally applied rights and obligations by roles universally applied rights and obligations by roles Trust: protection of rights Trust: protection of rights

Bill Reimer (7/3/2016) 19 Associative Relations e.g. religious, recreation, farm, environmental, internet groups e.g. religious, recreation, farm, environmental, internet groups rights based on shared interests rights based on shared interests collective rights take precedence over individual collective rights take precedence over individual Trust: support objectives Trust: support objectives

Bill Reimer (7/3/2016) 20 Communal Relations e.g. families, kinship, friends, gangs, tribes e.g. families, kinship, friends, gangs, tribes rights based on reciprocity and favours rights based on reciprocity and favours commitments form to groups or individuals commitments form to groups or individuals Trust: support person Trust: support person

Bill Reimer (7/3/2016) 21 Market Associative Communal Bureaucratic High Capacity = Agility with all systems

Bill Reimer (7/3/2016) 22 The NRE Project: Building Capacity in Rural Canada A Project of the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation March 21, 2002 Become a member today!