Cultural and Natural Capital: A Systems Approach Revisited

Abstract

"This paper does not claim to provide an 'ecological perspective' on social capital. Ecology has little to say directly on social capital. But the paper does emphasise social system-ecosystem interactions, along the lines of our recent book. First, let's place social capital in perspective. There is a spectrum of concepts on the social dimensions of sustainability. These include social indicators, as used for example in Robert Allen's new book still in press, and a diversity of concepts of social and cultural wellbeing: -- equity: fairness, social justice, distributional issues; -- empowerment: ability of people to exert a degree of control over decisions affecting their lives; -- sustainable livelihoods: capacity to generate and maintain one's means of living; -- cultural sustainability: ability to retain cultural identity, and to allow change to be guided in ways consistent with the cultural values of a people; -- social cohesion: shared values and commitment to a community - as the foundation stone of social order, as used by Jane Jenson and others; and as social capital: -- social organisational features, such as trust, norms and networks."