Social Capital and Local Development: From Theory to Empirics

This book addresses the role of social capital in promoting rural and local development. The recent financial and economic crises have exposed the European Union (EU) to an increased risk of social exclusion and poverty, which are now at the heart of its economic, employment and social agenda with explicit reference to rural and marginal areas (Europe 2020). The authors’ work from the notion that rural development is not imposed from the ‘outside’, but depends also on endogenous factors, namely local cultural and ecological amenities, eco-system services, and economic links with urban areas which expand rural opportunities for innovation, competitiveness, employment and sustainable development.

Social capital is of paramount importance because it helps build networks and trusting relations among local stakeholders in the public and private spheres,  and supporting the enhancement of governance of natural resources in rural areas

Table of Contents

Part I Social Capital and Local Development in European Rural Areas: A Conceptual Framework
Chapter 1 Introduction: Motivation, Aim And Contributions
Chapter 2 Social Capital: Intuition, Precept, Concept And Theory
Chapter 3 Social Capital And Local Development In European Rural Areas: Theory And Empirics
Chapter 4 Social Capital And Rural Development In Europe: A Geographical Perspective
Chapter 5 Social Capital, Network Governance And Social Innovation: Towards A New Paradigm?

Part II A Methodological Approach to the Evaluation of the LEADER Initiative
Chapter 6 Evaluation Of Social Capital In Leader: What’S In And What’S Out?
Chapter 7 Evaluation Of Social Capital In Leader: From Theory To Practice
Chapter 8 Social Capital And The Leader Approach: A Statistical Method For The Evaluation Of Local Action Groups
Chapter 9 Indicators Proposed For The Evaluation Of Social Capital In Local Action Groups

Part III LEADER and Social Capital: Comparative Analysis and Discussion
Chapter 10 Practicing Social Capital In Local Development: How The Method Applies To Real-World Cases
Chapter 11 Evaluation Of Structural And Normative-Cognitive Social Capital And Related Governance Aspects At Different Levels Of Aggregation Across Regions And Lags
Chapter 12 Regional Comparisons: A Discussion On Social Capital And Local Development

Part IV LEADER and Social Capital: Regional Case Studies
Chapter 13 Leader And Social Capital In Veneto: The Case Studies Of Prealpi E Dolomiti And Bassa Padovana Local Action Groups
Chapter 14 Leader And Social Capital In Umbria: The Case Studies Of Valle Umbra E Sibillini And Ternano Local Action Groups
Chapter 15 Leader And Social Capital In Apulia: The Case Studies Of Gargano And Meridaunia Local Action Groups
Chapter 16 Leader And Social Capital In Basilicata: The Case Studies Of Cosvel And Basento Camastra Local Action Groups
Chapter 17 Leader And Social Capital In Sardinia: The Case Study Of The Sulcis Iglesiente Capoterra E Campidano Di Cagliari Local Action Group

Part V Conclusions and Policy Recommendations
Chapter 18 Innovative Elements Of The Proposed Evaluation Method And Indications For Improving Monitoring And Evaluation Activities In Rural Development Policy
Chapter 19 What Future For Leader As A Catalyst Of Social Innovation?