Documenting the development of social capital in a community of social capital in a community safety promotion coalition using social network analysis

Abstract

Social Network Analysis was used to study the social forces mobilised by the Mackay Whitsunday Safe Communities Project (MWSCP), a community based safety promotion network. Social Network Analysis is a quantitative sociological technique that maps and analyses the structural relationships between people in a social network. A questionnaire regarding the nature and quality of relationships was distributed throughout the network and analysed using UCINET software. In February 2000, the seven founding members of the Project Management Team (PMT) had a direct sphere of influence upon 78 actors. By 2004 this had increased to include a network of 152 members, who in turn had contact with a further 16 actors, creating a total network of 168 members, representing 47 government, business and community organisations. The network had become more cohesive, with the average number of relationships between network members increasing from 5.0 to 9.2 and a significant increase in the density of relationships [0.03 in Feb 2000 cf 0.06 in Aug 2004 (p < 0.0002)]. However, analysis of member roles indicated that a small number of central actors played a critical role in facilitating communication between different groups within the network. Social Network Analysis proved a useful tool for documenting the growth of social capital within a community safety promotion coalition. Two distinct forms of social capital have been documented: firstly, the growth of network cohesion and secondly, the critical role played by a small number of key actors who perform an important brokerage function within the network.