Special Issue "Social Capital and Sustainability: Spatial Evidence"

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2022.

Special Issue Editor

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Irene Daskalopoulou
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Economics, University of Peloponnese, Tripoli, Arcadia 22100, Greece
Interests: social capital; institutions; trust; wellbeing; governance; regional development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The role of social capital as a critical determinant of sustainable developmental paradigms is widely acknowledged. Similarly, the multiple representations of the social capital phenomenon are common ground, following a large body of research that illustrates the socio-cultural embeddedness and consequently the cultural uniqueness of social capital. Both these realizations have triggered research towards identifying the reasons why countries are differentiated in terms of their stock of social capital and its linkages to growth mechanisms (e.g., entrepreneurial activity) and citizen welfare institutions (e.g., democracy, health, education, safety, etc.). The spatial dimension of the social capital phenomenon is rarely analysed. Existing research either assumes a more disaggregated level of analysis, so that regional fluctuations in growth rates might be easier to identify and explain, for example, or assumes the existence of specific modes of organization and expression that are typical of small, usually isolated communities that struggle to cope with various socio-economic, political, and geomorphological disadvantages. Thus, it is most often the case that available research implicitly assumes regions to be the mere interface between national (macro) structures and the individual (micro structures). However, territories are not only a dimension that might be accounted for with appropriate data disaggregation. The regional level might well constitute “a meso level of the dynamic interplay” between macro- and micro-factors. This interplay shapes drastically the content of social capital as formed and exploited by actors at the regional level.

This Special Issue is intended to examine this interplay in order to provide deeper insights on the spatial dynamics of social capital as a sustainability mechanism. To that extent, the aim of this Special Issue is to generate new knowledge and insights as regards the spatial manifestations and effects of social capital in both urban and regional environments. The Guest Editor welcomes papers on all aspects related to the topic and invites all types of contributions, i.e., comprehensive reviews, case studies, or research articles.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Irene Daskalopoulou
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Social capital
  • Trust
  • Associations
  • Norms/values
  • Territorial identities
  • Space
  • Urban/rural empowerment
  • Regional administration
  • Sustainable development

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

Article
Through Sport to Innovation: Sustainable Socio-Economic Development in European Countries
Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10489; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410489 - 15 Dec 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 588
Abstract
Using clustering and principal component analysis, we demonstrate that—at the national level in Europe—innovativeness correlates strongly to both social capital and participation in sport. In this aspect, countries such as the Scandinavian countries and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe differ visibly. [...] Read more.
Using clustering and principal component analysis, we demonstrate that—at the national level in Europe—innovativeness correlates strongly to both social capital and participation in sport. In this aspect, countries such as the Scandinavian countries and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe differ visibly. Referring to prior empirical research, we claim that a causal relation between sports, through social capital, and innovativeness can be established. In the context of social capital accumulation, we further discuss the role of sports clubs, often perceived as a socially intensive form of participation in sport, but most likely diminishing in this respect lately. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Capital and Sustainability: Spatial Evidence)
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Article
Does Social Capital Matter for Total Factor Productivity? Exploratory Evidence from Poland
Sustainability 2020, 12(23), 9978; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12239978 - 29 Nov 2020
Viewed by 531
Abstract
Two issues connected with sustainable development are analysed in this article: total factor productivity (TFP), which measures the efficiency of transforming physical capital and labour into production, and social capital, which is increasingly considered as a factor of TFP. TFP is sometimes viewed [...] Read more.
Two issues connected with sustainable development are analysed in this article: total factor productivity (TFP), which measures the efficiency of transforming physical capital and labour into production, and social capital, which is increasingly considered as a factor of TFP. TFP is sometimes viewed as a measure of sustainability, and its high value indicates an effective way of combining and using limited resources. Social capital, in turn, is a determining factor in the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of development. The subject of this analysis is the impact of social capital on TFP. Social capital generates synergistic effects and creates added value using the existing resources. Therefore, it is legitimate to regard it as one of the determinants of TFP. The role of social capital in sustainable development is theoretically grounded and confirmed by numerous empirical studies. Nevertheless, due to the deep dependence on the context, the mechanisms of the impact of this capital on economic effects are still not fully understood. In this paper, social capital is analysed in the context of the post-transformation economy. This context seems to be interesting for two reasons: the relative weakness of social capital in post-communist countries and extensive nature of development these countries have experienced in recent decades, which together can be a barrier to long-term growth in these economies. The purpose of the paper is to identify and assess the impact of social capital in Poland on TFP in a regional breakdown (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics II - NUTS II). The research period covers the years 2002–2016 and employs econometric modelling methods. Social capital turns out to be a factor in explaining the level of TFP in Polish regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Capital and Sustainability: Spatial Evidence)
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Article
Regional Social Capital and Economic Growth: Exploratory Evidence from Testing the Virtuous Spiral vs. Vicious Cycle Model for Greece
Sustainability 2020, 12(15), 6037; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12156037 - 27 Jul 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 724
Abstract
The aim of the present study is to analyze social capital as a spatial resource that regions might use differently in their developmental process. We propose a theoretical framework in order to identify the different regional social capital workings as leading to either [...] Read more.
The aim of the present study is to analyze social capital as a spatial resource that regions might use differently in their developmental process. We propose a theoretical framework in order to identify the different regional social capital workings as leading to either an open system of relations (the virtuous social capital—development spiral) or to a rather closed system of relations (the vicious social capital—development cycle). At the empirical level, we test the presence of these two developmental paths by two operational hypotheses that are tested through the development and use of appropriate entropy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) techniques. Our analysis involves an inclusive theorization of social capital as composed of trust, norms/values, and networks. Using individual and aggregate level economic indicators, we obtain different rankings of the Greek regions compared to the initial entropy weights rankings. Overall, our results provide support to the presence of both developmental paths in the case of Greece while the Greek regions might be categorized as dynamic, stagnant, and unstable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Capital and Sustainability: Spatial Evidence)
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