Adding Up Social Capital Adding Up Social Capital and Estimating and Estimating

ParticipationParticipationFrank Clearfield, Social Sciences Team Frank Clearfield, Social Sciences Team

LeaderLeaderEast NTSC, Greensboro, NCEast NTSC, Greensboro, NC

November 29, 2006November 29, 2006

OutlineOutline

1)1) Adding up social capitalAdding up social capital

2)2) Estimating participationEstimating participation

1. Adding Up Social 1. Adding Up Social CapitalCapital

Definitions of Different Definitions of Different Types of CapitalTypes of Capital

FinancialFinancial - savings, bond ratings, - savings, bond ratings, investments like factories, schools, investments like factories, schools, roads, housing, etc.roads, housing, etc.

CulturalCultural -values, norms, standards -values, norms, standards HumanHuman - skills, talent and education - skills, talent and education

of peopleof people SocialSocial - networks, bonds of trust - networks, bonds of trust

between people in communitiesbetween people in communities NaturalNatural - landscape, air, water, soil, - landscape, air, water, soil,

plants, animalsplants, animals PoliticalPolitical - ability of individual/group - ability of individual/group

to influence resource distribution to influence resource distribution

Community TrendsCommunity Trends

Changes in Social Capital Changes in Social Capital

Political Political Civic Civic ReligiousReligious WorkplaceWorkplace SocialSocial VolunteeringVolunteering

Voting TurnoutVoting Turnout

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1966 70 74 78 82 86 90 94 98

2002

2006

PresidentialOff-Year

Political Participation Political Participation

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 1996

per

cen

t attend pol mtgwork for ptypaid staff

Number of paid staff per million in org.

Civic TrendsCivic Trends

ActivityActivity Served on a Served on a

committee for committee for some local some local organization organization

attended a public attended a public meeting on town or meeting on town or school affairsschool affairs

Relative changeRelative change

1973-74 to 1993-941973-74 to 1993-94

-39%-39%

-35%-35%

Source: Roper Social and Political Trends surveys, 1973-1994

Civic Club MeetingsCivic Club Meetings

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 1997

# of

an

nu

al c

lub

mee

tin

gs

PTA membershipPTA membership (% of families with children under 18)(% of families with children under 18)

05

10152025

3035404550

1920 1930 1950 1960 1980 1990 1997

Church Membership & AttendanceChurch Membership & Attendance

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 1999

perc

ent Church Records

Gallup PollAttendance

members

Participation in WorkParticipation in Work Average membership in 8 Average membership in 8

national professional national professional associations showed associations showed increases from the 1930’s increases from the 1930’s to the 1960’s, followed by to the 1960’s, followed by decreases to the presentdecreases to the present

Labor Union TrendsLabor Union Trends

Social VisitsSocial Visits

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 1999

Per

cent

(bi-

)wee

kly

Friends overVisit friends

Volunteering & Volunteering & Participation in Participation in

Community ProjectsCommunity Projects

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 1999

tim

es la

st y

ear

VolunteeredCom. Proj.

NRCS Earth Team Trend

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

Year

Vol

unte

ers

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

Hou

rs

VOLUNTEERS HOURS

Technical Note: Adding Up Social Technical Note: Adding Up Social Capital: An Investment in CommunitiesCapital: An Investment in Communities

Tool: http://www.ssi.nrcs.usda.gov/Tool: http://www.ssi.nrcs.usda.gov/

Building Social CapitalBuilding Social Capital

Identify & Recruit Identify & Recruit Community LeadersCommunity Leaders

Develop PartnershipsDevelop Partnerships Establish NetworksEstablish Networks Be InclusiveBe Inclusive Understand Small Understand Small

Group Behavior & Group Behavior & Community PowerCommunity Power

2. Estimating 2. Estimating ParticipationParticipation

Categories of ParticipationCategories of Participation

Personal characteristicsPersonal characteristics Farm characteristics Farm characteristics Characteristics of Characteristics of

conservation practicesconservation practices Social capitalSocial capital Community contextCommunity context

Define termsDefine terms Innovation Innovation AdoptionAdoption DiffusionDiffusion

Identify stages of adoptionIdentify stages of adoption Examine characteristics of the diffusion Examine characteristics of the diffusion

processprocess

Adoption – Diffusion Model

InnovationInnovation: :

An idea, practice or product that is An idea, practice or product that is perceived as new by the individual or perceived as new by the individual or group.group.

AdoptionAdoption::

The behavior of an individual or The behavior of an individual or group in deciding whether or not to group in deciding whether or not to accept new ideas, practices or accept new ideas, practices or products.products.

DiffusionDiffusion::

The process by which the adoption of The process by which the adoption of a new idea, practice, or product a new idea, practice, or product spreads throughout a group, spreads throughout a group, community or society.community or society.

AwarenessAwareness InterestInterest EvaluationEvaluation TrialTrial AdoptionAdoption AdaptationAdaptation

Stages of AdoptionStages of Adoption

Stages in the Adoption Stages in the Adoption ProcessProcess

PersonalPersonal

Farm StructureFarm Structure

PracticePractice

CommunityCommunity

CharacteristicsCharacteristics

High incomeHigh income

High educationHigh education

Greater use of mediaGreater use of media

Personal Characteristics Personal Characteristics (cont.)(cont.)

Willingness to take riskWillingness to take risk

High number of Agency High number of Agency

contactscontacts

Full-time operatorFull-time operator

Intend to pass operation on Intend to pass operation on

to childrento children

Personal Characteristics Personal Characteristics (cont.)(cont.)

Large Scale Large Scale

OperationsOperations

High Gross SalesHigh Gross Sales

Owner-OperatedOwner-Operated

Farm Structure Farm Structure CharacteristicsCharacteristics

Cost Cost Economic Economic

ReturnsReturns ComplexityComplexity VisibilityVisibility DivisibilityDivisibility CompatibilityCompatibility FlexibilityFlexibility

Practice Practice CharacteristicsCharacteristics

Participation in community Participation in community organizationsorganizations Civic, Religious, Agricultural, Political, Civic, Religious, Agricultural, Political,

etc.etc. Effectiveness of local organizations Effectiveness of local organizations

including Cons. District; Federal, & including Cons. District; Federal, & local agencieslocal agencies

Strong local leadershipStrong local leadership

Community Community CharacteristicsCharacteristics

Network effectivenessNetwork effectiveness VolunteersVolunteers Availability of technical assistance Availability of technical assistance

and educational information (e.g., and educational information (e.g., demonstrations)demonstrations)

Community Community Characteristics (cont.)Characteristics (cont.)

2.5%13.5%

34% 34%

16%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

35.0%

Innovators Early Adopters Early Majority Late Majority Laggards

TIME OF ADOPTIONRogers & Shoemaker, 1971

Diffusion of Diffusion of InnovationsInnovations

Case StudyCase Study

Guide to Estimating Guide to Estimating ParticipationParticipation

Evaluates needs in the following areas: Evaluates needs in the following areas: Financial AssistanceFinancial Assistance Educational AssistanceEducational Assistance Technical AssistanceTechnical Assistance Timing of AdoptionTiming of Adoption Management estimatorManagement estimator

Web SiteWeb Site

Go to the Social Sciences Team’s web Go to the Social Sciences Team’s web sitesite

http://www.ssi.nrcs.usda.gov/http://www.ssi.nrcs.usda.gov/ Click on interactive toolsClick on interactive tools Execute procedure that estimates Execute procedure that estimates

social capital social capital Execute procedure that estimates Execute procedure that estimates

participation or download excel participation or download excel spreadsheetspreadsheet

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