Social capital and neighbourhood cooperation: Implications for development of the urban poor in LDCs. (October 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bashar, Toriqul; Bramley, Glen
• Is Part Of: Urban studies. Volume 56:Number 13(2019:Oct.)
• Page Start: 2727
• Page End: 2745
• Publication Date: 2019-10
• Subjects: Bangladesh -- economic development -- neighbourhood cooperation -- social capital -- urban poor; 孟加拉国 -- 经济发展 -- 街区合作 -- 社会资本 -- 城市贫民; Cities and towns -- Periodicals; City planning -- Periodicals; 307.1216
• DOI: 10.1177/0042098018797945
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0042-0980

Abstract

'Neighbourhood cooperation' can be viewed as a key element for livelihood improvement, particularly within areas of urban poverty in Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Such cooperation might be useful for mobilising resources and sharing risks of investing in infrastructures/services and maintaining common goods. This article explores the structural relationships between individual level cooperation and overall social capital, in relation to household and neighbourhood characteristics. These relationships are complex as various factors are interlinked, which influence cooperation at both individual and group levels. Literature on social capital has relied mainly on Western countries; from this starting point, this article analyses the relationships among aspects of social capital. Analytical models are based on Durlauf's approach of measuring 'social capital' and Manski's perspective on social interaction, which are tested on 1800 households' data across three locations in Bangladesh. The estimates reveal that individual level cooperation can be influenced directly by households' socio economic circumstances and indirectly through neighbourhood mediation, while questioning some theoretical generalisations about neighbourhood cooperation. The findings contribute to the literature on neighbourhood effects by revealing that: (a) the relationship between one's socio economic status and one's social capital is less clear than expected; and (b) extreme poverty and proximity of living in a neighbourhood can promote norms of trust and cooperation.