Summary
Contents
Studies is an important, interdisciplinary thread which runs through contemporary debates on globalization, citizenship, community studies, political geography and identity. It has always represented a significant component of ethnic, multicultural and racial studies but the last few years have seen a steady increase in separate / autonomous courses and modules as students, lecturers and researchers engage with the field. This proposal looks to pull together the central themes of the field; its approach is logical and the three main themes the authors identify are a useful hook upon which to hang the text. International relevance and marketability is obviously important; the inclusion of a US and a UK author with such sympathetic expertise will help to maximise the appeal of the project. The authors are aware of the need to balance the needs of different markets and their willingness to develop the proposal in response to the reviewers' comments is encouraging.
Social Capital
Social Capital
Definition: Access to actual or potential resources via membership in a social network or other social structures.
The concept of social capital represents perhaps one of the oldest and most important ideas in the social sciences that articulates the relationship between economy and society. It has been revived in recent decades to address a wide range of concerns, including crime, education, poverty and development, and community, to name just a few. Despite disagreement and criticism concerning its definition across disciplines such as sociology, political science and psychology, the main idea behind social capital is that an investment in social relations produces expected returns (Lin 1999: 30). In other words, social capital captures the idea that various kinds of resources – economic ones, ...
