A social capital perspective on literacy course outcomes: a case study of adult literacy

Abstract

Social capital is the 'networks, together with shared norms, values and understandings which facilitate cooperation within or amongst groups' (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2004, p.5), and this paper reports on a component of a major qualitative study that investigated the capacity of adult literacy and numeracy courses to produce social capital outcomes. The study found that almost 80% of the students interviewed reported experiencing social capital outcomes from participation in adult literacy and numeracy courses. These outcomes came about mainly from changes in network structures and from changes in network transactions. Student characteristics such as English speaking background, Indigeneity and age impact on the type of social capital outcomes experienced. In addition, technical skill outcomes often require social capital outcomes as a prerequisite or co-requisite in order to be acquired and/or to be applied. Importantly, social capital outcomes are found to have a role in the impact that participation in adult literacy and numeracy courses has on the socio-economic well-being of the participant and/or the community. The paper finishes by describing the implications for both pedagogy and the framing of outcomes reporting.