Bonding and Bridging: Understanding the Relationship Between Social Capital and Civic Action
By: Larissa Larsen, Sharon Harlan, Robert Bolin, Ed Hackett, Diane Hope, Andrew Kirby, Amy Nelson, Tom Rex & Shap Wolf
Anticipated publication in the Journal of Planning Education and Research – September 2004.
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between social connections and collective civic action within the context of rapid and sprawling growth in a Sun Belt city. Operationalizing and measuring social capital in eight Phoenix, Arizona neighborhoods allowed us to determine that individuals with strong social bonding (ie. association and trust among neighbors) in their neighborhood are indeed more likely to engage in problem-solving actions that represent the formation of bridging social capital. Our analysis suggests that individuals with higher levels of social capital are more likely to take civic action. However, while social capital lessens the relationship between an individual’s social status and the likelihood of taking action, it does not eliminate the positive relationship. Our analysis also suggests that bonding and bridging are distinct forms of social capital that have some different antecedents.