An Integrated Approach to Social Capital
Delivering Greater Value by Using Social Capital When Partnering for Innovation
Adaptive Capacity:
Dynamic ability to learn and adapt in response to ongoing changes.
How Does Social Capital Work?
A stable network of relationships facilitates coordinated actions
Trust generates feelings of reciprocity; strengthens network cohesion; less need to monitor others
Reciprocity = long-term obligations between people
Norms and sanctions = confidence to invest in collective activities
Social capital “can promote emergence of shared goals related to sustainability” (Auer et al, 2020)
Strong social ties at community level facilitate governance of natural capital conservation and management
Loss of social capital can lead to loss of local institutions to protect natural environments
“New ideas spread more rapidly where there is high social capital” (Pretty & Smith, 2004)
Social Capital in Action in Parks Community
Pathway to Target 1 and Nature Fund:
- Outreach across the country to create conditions for resilience.
- Cooperative management model/approach to governance: shared decision making; joint advisory mechanisms
Using ethical space to facilitate moving toward Reconciliation; developing relationships in context of biodiversity and conservation protection
- “Ethical space”: Parallel systems of Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge systems, and engagement between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, recognizing that all human beings belong at the table.
- Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership – CRP (May 2019) – 30+ partners
Parks Canada:
- Franklin recovery: combined traditional knowledge and western science in protecting ecosystems
- Visitor experience: work with Indigenous communities to create storytelling stages “for their voice to be heard” – Elizabeth Lacoursière, Parks Canada
- Knowing our audiences better to identify impact
Collaborative learning and research in support of Indigenous-led conservation
CPCIL Innovation and Collaboration forum