Will Online Networks Spark Growth of Coalitions for Development? IDPM Paper Calls for Better Metrics
January 27, 2004
by Sarah Cummings, Richard Heeks, and Marleen Huysman
Whether from team sports or scientific research or quality circles in business, many people readily appreciate that the value of a group exceeds the sum of its parts.
In bringing rigor to common sense, scholars have focused on the connections between group members and the exchanges of information which take place among them as groups' key value multiplier, describing the institutions, rules, and relationships involved as "social capital."
This paper, prepared by researchers at the University of Manchester's Institute for Development Policy and Management examines how well the concept of social capital facilitates understanding of online networks in development.
The authors first argue that knowledge and learning play important roles for development processes and actors. Much of the knowledge generation and social learning in development takes place in networks. These networks, now increasingly going online, thus have an important role to play in facilitating social learning and the improvement of development practices. Although a consensus tends to see online networks as a positive force in development, many unknowns about such networks, partly because of their novelty. Researchers need new ideas and tools to complete this analysis.
Scholars have applied the concept of social capital to examine the functioning of groups and societies. More recently, researchers have begun to trace the role of social capital in development and to online networks outside development.
Given this background, studying the networks of relationships involved in a prticular policy area or online community may offer a useful approach for increasing understanding of online networks in development. With this objective in mind, this paper reviews three approaches conceived outside of development studies for examining social capital in online networks and communities.
The paper combines elements of these approaches -- while also incorporating certain development-related aspects -- to produce a framework intended for analyzing social capital in online networks in a development context.
Link: http://idpm.man.ac.uk/publications/wp/di/di_wp16.shtml [ HTML]
Keywords: knowledge, learning, online, community, development, policy, management