What is social capital?
Social capital is what describes the broad range of clubs, organizations, and social networks that connect people to one another and to their community. It is what you might call the "glue" that holds a community together.
Why does it matter?
Building our community's social capital is a crucial ingredient in improving the quality of life for all of us.
What is the state of social capital in York County?
In 2001, York County was one of 36 communities participating in the first-ever national study on social capital. The survey was designed by the Saguaro Seminar on Civic Engagement in America , a project of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. The responses of 500 York Countians provided an important perspective on quality of life in York County . Here are the findings:
- York County has higher levels of social capital than communities like ours across the country on five of the ten measures used in the study, including Social Trust; Inter-racial Trust; Giving and Volunteering; Informal Socializing; and Faith-based Engagement.
- York County has lower levels of social capital than other communities like ours in the areas of Civic Leadership; Association Involvement; Diversity of Friendships; Conventional Politics; and Protest Politics.
- Our score on Conventional Politics, including level of voting, was the lowest of all 40 communities surveyed. More than two-thirds of York County residents surveyed were not able to name one of their two United States senators from Pennsylvania.
What can we do to grow our social capital?
We will only benefit from this research if we build on our strengths and work to reverse the trends that have negative long-term impacts. We need to build alliances among citizens and community organizations - schools, civic groups, businesses, government entities, faith-based organizations - and bring new people, new ideas, and new energy to the table. Building social capital also requires the conscious efforts of citizens, policy makers, funders, developers, and others who make decisions that impact our communities and citizens. In order to grow social capital, we also need to view policies and programs through a "social capital lens." Communities need to routinely ask questions such as:
- Are the programs we are developing helping to create connections between people or are they isolating people?
- York County has lower levels of social capital than other communities like ours in the areas of Civic Leadership; Association Involvement; Diversity of Friendships; Conventional Politics; and Protest Politics.
- Are the maintenance or expansion of our community institutions and environmental structures (e.g., schools, roads, developments) bringing people together or segmenting the community?
Visit bettertogether.org to learn more about -- and become part of -- the national discussion around strengthening social capital.
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York County Study Results
Here's the original press release announcing the results of the largest social capital study of its kind. York County was one of 60 communities surveyed by Harvard's Kennedy School of Government with the support of what was then the York Foundation. (More information on the nationwide endeavor has been archived online by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.) (PDF)
York County Examples
Here are a few noteworthy examples of social capital at work in York County.
- DreamWrights Youth & Family Theatre was founded in 1997 by a group of families who believed that participation in a quality theatre arts program would have a profound and valuable impact on their children. They shared a vision of a youth theatre that was also a vehicle for families to work together in all aspects of a production. They also wanted to make sure that the experience of live theatre was affordable and available to everyone. As they worked together on theatre performances, they noticed that amazing things were happening. Their children were becoming more confident, more responsible, more tolerant, more curious and more resourceful. Not only were the children learning about every aspect of live theatre, and how all the parts fit together to make a whole...they were also sharing, making new friends and laughing. That common vision never changed, although DreamWrights certainly has. With every audition, more and more families are discovering DreamWrights. For every new production, there may be as many as 35 young people enjoying their very first theatrical experience. But now, it's not just for young people. Many parents join in and have been able to share the experience with their children.
- The Salem Square Community Association, Inc. developed in 1999 when a group of pastors joined with the county to combine resources and start several youth programs. They all wanted to create an environment where the church could be a "one stop shop" for community services and be seen as a place of relevance in the community. The group started by creating after school programs, neighborhood clean sweeps, and health fairs. In 2001 the group incorporated, and in 2004 they hired a neighborhood organizer. There are currently more than 100 community residents and 40 community partners involved with the Salem Square Community Association. The association's current focus is to develop housing strategies to fix up dilapidated properties in the Salem Square area, which is defined by South Belvidere Avenue, West College Avenue, West Mason Avenue , and South Hartley Street . There are committees working to create objectives and core values for various areas of concern, including: family resource enrichment, land use, education, human services, and public safety. After a series of community dialogues to review and discuss the outcomes of the committees' work, an implementation schedule will be put in place.
- The York County Rail Trail Authority resulted from community leadership that rallied for a project to encourage the purchase of the Northern Central Railway Corridor. PennDOT had acquired the corridor in June 1973, one year after Hurricane Agnes destroyed many railroad bridges and much of the rail line, and since had been deciding what to do with the corridor. At that time, there were two distinct groups of rail trail supporters in York County. One group that wanted to reestablish rail service on the rails and one that wanted to create a recreational trail beside the rail lines. However, the groups had one common vision, which was the preservation of the rails. In 1990, the York County Board of Commissioners entered into a rail preservation agreement with PennDOT to become the owner of the 18.5 miles of the rail lines. Soon, the county realized that the preservation of the rails and development of a trail would require specific expertise and resources. So that same year, the County Board of Commissioners formed the York County Rail Trail Authority and appointed nine community leaders to volunteer positions on the Authority. The Authority's first project was the construction of a 21-mile, non-motorized recreational trail along the former rail lines of the Northern Central Railway. The trail, which utilized $3.7 million from federal, state, and local sources, was completed in August of 1999. This trail, now known as the Heritage Rail Trail County Park, extends from the Mason Dixon Line south of New Freedom to the city of York. In 2004, the trail counted 298,271 annual user visits. The management of the trail was transitioned to the York County Department of Parks and Recreation, and is currently operated as a county park.
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