Social capital is a concept that tries to capture the interconnectedness between people in communities, areas such as reciprocity, trust, togetherness, collective social action, informal relationships, information channels and bonds of friendship. It has been given greater attention over recent decades by a broad spectrum of disciplines, including sociologists, community development researchers and public health practitioners, due to the increasingly recognised importance that this form of 'capital' is for healthy individuals and communities.
Social capital is generally positive and beneficial. Communities with high levels of social capital are attractive and safe, makes us feel good, make us feel part of a bigger purpose and family and is actually good for our physical and mental health. Recent examples of real-estate agent advertisements that portray areas of new land releases as a close, warm, friendly community that fosters friendship and civic involvement are trying to market their area as possessing high levels of social capital.
The Baha'i community can be characterised as having high levels of social capital. It is one marked by high levels of trust and information sharing, relationships and reciprocity. One of the hallmarks of the community is service and love. Social capital can also be potentially negative - the commonest example given is when it becomes exclusive so others cannot join. More controversial is the concept that if the social capital is built up around an adversarial and negative philosophy, such as urban street gangs, they can be characterised in some ways as organisations with high levels of internal social capital but characterised by destructive codes of conduct. This has relevance with the Faith in that it has high social capital, but it is often directed inwards. Some inwards direction is good and essential - it maintains community, bonds, friendship - but is unhealthy if not balanced with a complementary outward orientation for service, teaching and interaction with the general community.
The Baha'i Faith, due to its core values such as orientation to service, work seen as worship and commitment to the betterment of the whole world, avoids the extremes of such inwardly-orientated close-nit communities. However, due to our unique patterns of communication, language and relationships, some people may benefit from an 'orientation manual/road map to the Perth Baha'i community' to understand some aspects of it. Everyone with contact with the community needs to know how to participate - accessing information on the Faith and community, details of activities and generally participating in the building up of a world civilisation founded upon the principles of Baha'u'llah.Thus, it is not only expected, but natural that a community with high levels of social capital, such as the Baha'i community, will have some of its own patterns of communication, its own language and its own relationships. However, whilst this is an inherent strength, it is recognised that this can be an unintentional barrier for the wider community to interact and participate in the Baha'i community to the fullest extent that may be possible. Finding ways to connect these people to the Baha'i community, whilst not diminishing the high levels of social capital that currently exists within the community, is a fundamental area of learning and experimentation. This may also mean that, after reflection and analysis of initial attempts, some minor modifications to non-essential patterns of communication and practice will be vital in ensuring that our community is more open and accessible for the general community.
This awareness of the value of social capital also avoids casting it in any negative light and any pattern of 'blaming' communities for having high social capital. It also avoids an unnecessary erosion of social capital with the aim of making the Baha'i community more accessible for the general community. Rather, we should view it as something to build upon, as a great strength and find ways in which we can share these bonds of love and fellowship with a broader section of the community who are attracted to the Faith in some measure.
Kynan Feeney
