Social Capital Questions

Group #5

Ecological Economics – Jon Erickson

Birdsall, Birkby, Buechler, Coleman, Egbers, Graves, McCreight and Van Etten 9/24/2003

2 A FEW DEFINITIONS OF SOCIAL CAPITAL:

Social capital consists of social networks and institutions, public or private whose purpose is to benefit the community and family unit as a whole. The networks and institutions work for the community to make the family unit stronger, and create a sense of community and place. Social capital incorporates different individual values into a system where people can have the opportunity to work together to achieve common goals.

Social capital refers to the institutions, relationships, and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a society’s social interactions... Social capital is not just the sum of the institutions which underpin a society – it is the glue that holds them together. (The World Bank 1999).

Social capital is the network of interpersonal relationships, both informal and in the context of formal institutions, that provides the framework for our communities and everyday lives. It is through these relationships that we gain a sense of community and place, and it is upon these relationships that we often come to rely.

FORMAT: We have separated social capital into eight major areas; education, diversity, police services/security, religion and spirituality, neighborhoods, politics, crisis, health and entertainment, each of which are explained in further detail later on.

EDUCATION:

Burlington City recognizes quality education as a top priority. To meet the educational goals Burlington has created a set of core beliefs: Everyone can learn, the learning environment should be safe, respectful, caring and attractive, education is the responsibility of every individual in the community, learning is a life-long process- everybody teaches; everybody learns, each person is intrinsically valuable, diversity is a strength of our community, communication and access to information is essential to learning, students learn in a variety of ways, continuous improvement is

3 the result of on-going review and evaluation, and the will to change(http://www.bsdvt.org/).

Therefore to access how Burlington school district plans to achieve their commitment to providing an exceptional education experience to young people it is essential to ask the students and their parents questions about their learning environments. However it is important to recognize that people have extremely different values regarding learning/higher learning. So families might not value education, or aesthetically pleasing schools, and therefore it is irrelevant whether their children have enough attention at school. For that reason the questions are going to concentrate more on the basic learning environment, which might reflect on the overall value of quality education in the Burlington area. It is also imperative that all elementary and secondary schools are survey in the area.

1. How many children drop out of school (individual schools) per year?

2. How many children continue with their education after high school (attending college, technical school, traveling, and so on)?

3. How many teachers obtain masters degrees?

4. How many students are in each class?

5. Do the students feel they receive enough attention from teachers?

6. What after school activities are there for students to participate in, and what percentages of students participate?

7. What percentage of the school plays on sports teams?

8. Do children get help with their homework at home or through other resources?

9. About how many hours a night is required to complete homework? Do students feel comfortable with the amount of homework assigned?

4 10. What kind of food is provided in the cafeteria? Are there multiple options available for students with special dietary concerns?

11. Is there counseling available for students/teachers/faculty? Are these services taken advantage of? Do children meet with counselors regularly?

12. What is the communication between teachers and parents?

13. What forms of sexual education are the children given? Health education?

14. How much choice do students have in the courses they take, especially at the high school level?

15. Are the library resources at schools easy to use and understand?

16. Do your children attend any extra curricular activities outside of school?

17. Does your child attend public or private school?

18. Do you feel universities in the area degrade quality of life for families?

DIVERSITY:

Diversity can be assessed in a wide range of topics. However for social capital we can look at how diverse schools, business, and neighborhoods are. Data shows that Burlington currently is 92.6% White. So what? What does it mean to have such a white state? I think for people who have lived in Vermont their entire lives it is not that big of an issue, or maybe it is. However for people moving to Vermont of any ethnic background it is something that is very recognizable. Statistics show recently there has been an infiltration of different ethnic groups into Burlington. What has caused the social state of Burlington to change? It could be the Universities response to Diversity or the better quality of living than in dense cities, or maybe the social centers

5 for people who struggle with drug and alcohol abuse. The overall underlying question is what do people think about diversity here, how important is cultural and ethnic diversity to the Burlington community? Does it vary between native Vermonters and community members that are not from Vermont? Does age play an important role in determining whether increasing diversity in Burlington is a positive aspect or not? The priority actions currently in the community evaluate: schools, business, housing, media, government, government and civic participation, community resource center, community education and awareness, and celebrations, art and culture. Here are some survey question that might be able to help us analyze why Vermont is steadily becoming more diverse and how it is affection social capital in a positive or negative way.

1. On a scale from 1-5, five being the most important, how much do you value diversity within a community?

2. Yes, or no, Burlington is a diverse community?

3. On a scale of 1-5, do you think people of different ethnic backgrounds intermingle in social settings?

4. Are neighborhoods diverse, or separated by race? (not sure about this one????)

5. If diversity is important to you, what kind of cultural experiences do you participate in, in the community?

6. Do you ever feel discriminated against, and if so where?

7. Have you ever had conflicts with individuals over a racial issue?

8. What is your ethnic background?

POLICE SERVICES AND SECURITY:

6 Police and security are important to consider when measuring social capital because the degree to which people feel safe and secure in their surroundings and their attitudes towards law enforcement contributes to their overall well being.

On a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is strongly disagree and 5 is strongly agree please rate the following statements:

1. I feel safe from crime in the neighborhood where I live.

2. I feel that my family is safe in the neighborhood where I live.

3. Police officers in my community do a good job of protecting me and my family.

4. Police officers are people in my community I can trust.

5. Have you ever been the victim of crime in the neighborhood where you live?

6. Is there a “Neighborhood Watch” program in your community?

7. Are there specific times when you feel unsafe in your neighborhood? When: Morning? Afternoon? Evening? Late Night?

RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY:

Religion and/or spirituality play a part in social capital by giving people a sense of purpose, community, as well as moralistic guidelines for life, essential aspects when considering a community’s overall well being.

1. Is religion or spirituality something of importance to you or your family?

2. Do you share similar spiritual/religious beliefs as other members of your immediate family? Your extended family? People within your community?

3. Does your family participate in any sort of religious or spiritual group on a regular basis?

4. Do you feel a sense of community within a spiritual or religious group?

7 5. Do you feel as though your religious/spiritual beliefs are supported within your community?

6. Do you feel any sort of persecution for your religious/spiritual beliefs within your community?

POLITICS:

Politics are essential when considering social capital in that politicians speak the voice of the people, in influencing laws and regulations whether or not they are in line with what you personally believe. Politics contributes to one’s/ a community’s well- being in that it does, or does not succeed in speaking for and to the people of the community.

1. Does your community have a city council?

2. Does your community have a local newspaper?

3. Does your community have a volunteer/full-time fire department?

4. Do you feel as though the city council member assigned to your ward is approachable? Cares about the community issues? Your issues? This last question is specific to Burlington

NEIGHBORHOODS:

The neighborhood is very important to social capital because it is the most basic form of community. Also, it can be used to tell many things about a person socially.

1. What kind of parks are within walking distance of your house? How would rate them?

2. Are there and do you participate in any kind of neighborhood committees?

3. How close are you to your children’s school?

8 4. How friendly would you rate your area?

5. Do you feel as though your neighborhood is clean and pleasing to the eye?

6. Does your neighborhood have sidewalks?

7. Does your neighborhood have access to a park of some sort?

8. Does your neighborhood have a neighborhood watch program or some other form of security?

9. Does your neighborhood, disregarding shrubs and bushes, have trees or have most of them been cleared?

FAMILY:

The family is essential in terms of social capital because it is one of the most fundamental pieces of everyone’s life. Family units provide a building block for the children of our future, they provide comfort and they are composed of the people who we love the most. Since 1960, the amount blood-related families living in Burlington have declined from composing 80% of the population to only 45% at present, while the number of single person households have almost doubled. It is essential to assess the attitudes of the residents of Burlington towards family life so that efforts can be made to orient the city even more towards families. (http://www.cedoburlington.org/default.htm

1. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best) how happy are you with the relationships within your family?

2. On average how many meals a week do you eat together as a family?

3. Do you have children? If so how many hours a week do you spend with them?

4. Are you divorced? If not do both parents work?

5. Where is your child while you’re working?

9 6. Do you feel that the community of Burlington is condusive and supportive of close family life?

7. How often do you see your extended family?

8. How do you feel the city of Burlington could strengthen family ties?

9. Do you enjoy being at home? Why or why not? What could improve your family life?

10. Do you feel comfortable raising your children in Burlington?

11. How many people do you share a home with here in Burlington? Are they blood relatives?

12. If not do you and your roommates function as a family?

13. Do you think that the various Universities and Colleges in Burlington have aided family life or discouraged it?

CRISIS:

Crisis resources are the backbone of a strong society. When someone has a problem and is not sure to whom to turn, it is imperative for them to feel as though they can have somewhere to go inside the community. For a complete list of the social programs in Burlington, visit {http://www.cedoburlington.org/substance_abuse_resource_guide_1.htm}

1. How important is it for you to have community based crisis-help programs? (1- 10, 10 being very important) 2. Have you ever sought help from a community resource such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Planed Parenthood, Battered Women’s Alternative, etc.? 3. If yes, was the services provided to you sufficient? 4. Would you recommend these services to a friend? 5. If you have not used these resources, is there a reason? (Other than no need for them)

10 6. Would you ever consider working in an organization such as those listed in question 2?

HEALTH:

Health plays a part in social capital simply because if your community is not healthy, it is tough for them to be happy. A sense of comfort must be taken in that if something should happen to you, you will be cared for with the best means possible.

1. On a scale of 1-10, how confident do you feel that if something affects your health you would be taken care of adequately?

2. Have you employed the resources of a hospital in your area?

3. If yes, were you satisfied with how you were treated?

4. Are you satisfied with your surroundings, and do you think they are conducive to a healthy lifestyle?

5. On average, how many times a year do you get sick?

6. Do you find that when you are sick, there are resources around you to aid you?

ENTERTAINMENT:

Entertainment, while not strictly speaking a necessity of life, is one of the factors upon which one’s quality of life strongly rests. Without proper entertainment, quality of life is much lower than it could be. Conversely, the effects of the entertainment of others can also adversely affect people’s quality of life. These two factors must be balanced for an ideal level of entertainment opportunity in a community.

1. Do you feel there are enough opportunities for entertainment in your community?

11 2. Are you satisfied with the content of exisiting entertainment opportunities?

3. Do you feel that the entertainment opportunities in your community fit your schedule well?

4. Do you feel that the entertainment choices of others intrude on your private space?

5. Do you feel that your community has too few, too many, or just the right amount of entertainment opportunities?

6. Is there a specific kind of entertainment that you would like to see more of in your community?

7. Is there a specific kind of entertainment that you would like to see less of in your community?