Exploring the missing links : a critical inquiry into the role of social capital in Australian regional development.
Date
2008
Authors
Chiveralls, Keri
Editors
Advisors
Spoehr, John Douglas
Peace, Adrian
Peace, Adrian
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Thesis
Citation
Statement of Responsibility
Conference Name
Abstract
This thesis examines the role of social capital in Australian regional development. It does so
though a case study of one of the most socio-economically disadvantaged regions in
Australia, the City of Playford, (perhaps best known as the former City of Elizabeth and
home of South Australian Manufacturing). The approach taken involves an examination of
the historical roots, more recent academic and political debates, along with the structural
political and economic conditions which have inspired the rise of social capital. This is
accompanied by an exploration of the application and implications of the social capital
approach to development in the City of Playford. Recent years have seen an explosion of
interest in social capital theory. Of particular interest to policy makers has been the
suggestion that there is a link between social capital and economic development. This
argument has lent support to the idea that inequality in regional economic development can
be tackled by building social capital in disadvantaged regions. In this thesis I take a critical
approach to both the concept ‘social capital’ and the link between social capital and
economic development. I suggest that the popularity of social capital may be due more to the
political and academic environment in which the concept was spawned, than its ability to
address issues of inequality in regional development. The results of the case study in the
City of Playford highlight the continuing importance of issues of class and structural
inequality in Australian regional development. I argue that contemporary applications of
social capital in regional development are not only unable to adequately address such issues,
but may also be contributing to their exacerbation. Having drawn attention to the inherently
problematic nature of the concept, I then discuss the implications of the research findings for
the future of social capital in both policy and social theory.
School/Discipline
School of Social Sciences
Dissertation Note
Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, School of Social Sciences, 2008
Provenance
Copyright material removed from digital thesis. See print copy in University of Adelaide Library for full text.