1. Dr Veronique Siegler and Rachel O’Brien
Overview of the ONS Social Capital work so far
Dr Veronique Siegler and Rachel O’Brien
“Social capital is the glue that holds societies together and without which there can be no economic growth or human well-being” (World Bank, 1998).

2. Overview of presentation
Social Capital – brief history
Operationalising Social Capital: OECD and ONS work
ONS Social Capital Framework
Examples of measures
Why Social Capital is important
ONS Analysis of Social Capital
Ongoing ONS work on Social Capital
Other areas of work currently explored by the ONS

3. Social Capital – brief history
High level of interest of social capital throughout 20th Century....but little agreement about the best way to define it or measure it
Bourdieu: social capital is an individual’s access to personal networks
World Bank: social capital definition includes institutions alongside networks and norms
Coleman: opened up social capital to a much wider range of applications, especially for family/education policy + role of community relationships
Putnam: social capital defined as networks of social engagement , trust and norms of reciprocity

4. Operationalising Social Capital: OECD and ONS work (1)
2001: OECD “networks together with shared norms, values and understandings that facilitate co-operation within or among groups”
ONS ( )
UK Social capital Measurement Framework – 5 dimensions:
Social networks and social support
Social participation
Civic participation
Reciprocity and trust
Views about local area
Social Capital Question Bank
Development of a harmonised set of social capital questions
Young people and social capital

5. Operationalising Social Capital: OECD and ONS work (2)
OECD (2013) “ Four interpretations of Social Capital: An Agenda for Measurement “
ONS (July 2014) : Proposed framework and set of headline measures
Framework based on OECD report and earlier work by ONS
Selected headline measures for user feedback
ONS (July to November 2014) : User consultation
Framework and measures useful for policy makers
Positive feedback on framework, some suggestions to include additional measures
Outcome: 25 measures across 4 aspects (November 2014)
Subjective/objective
Mostly at UK level
Based on existing data sources (including Understanding Society, European of Quality of Life Survey (EQLS), European Social Survey (ESS))
The framework of social capital, based on a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2013 and earlier work by the ONS. The framework aims to provide an internationally comparable framework for measuring social capital over time. It is based around four broad aspects of social capital rather than a single definition. These are personal relationships, social network support, civic engagement and trust and cooperative norms. Within this framework, ONS has proposed a set of 25 headline measures for the UK, which cover the four aspects of social capital and supplement the existing information published by the ONS on human and natural capital.
Personal Relationships is concerned with who people know and what they do to establish and maintain their personal relationships.
Social Network Support also includes what people do for other individuals on a personal basis.
Civic engagement includes activities such as volunteering, political participation and other forms of community actions.
Trust and these values are beneficial for society as a whole can determine how much people in a society are willing to cooperate with one another

6. Social Capital Framework – ONS, July 2014
FOUR DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF SOCIAL CAPITAL
DEFINITION
Personal Relationships
Structure and nature of people’s personal relationships
Social Network Support
The level of resources or support that a person can draw from their personal relationships
Civic Engagement
The actions and behaviours that can be seen as contributing positively to the collective life of a community or society
Trust and Cooperative Norms
This refers to the trust and values such as solidarity, equity etc...that shape the way people behave towards each other and as members of society

7. Social Capital Framework – Examples of measures
Aspects of Social Capital
Examples of headline measures
Personal Relationships
Those who meet socially with friends, relatives or work colleagues at least once a week
Those who regularly stop and talk with people in neighbourhood
Social Network Support
Those who give special help to at least one sick, disabled or elderly person living or not living with them
Those who feel they have a spouse, family member or friend to rely on if they have a serious problem
Civic Engagement
Those who have been volunteering in the last 12 months
Those who are members of organisations, whether political, voluntary, professional or recreational
Trust and Cooperative Norms
Those who definitely agree or tend to agree that their local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together
Those who would say that most people can be trusted

8. Why Social Capital is important
Social Capital is important for the well-being of individuals; communities; the nation.
Social Capital is important for the economy.
As part of their inquiry on well-being, the UK Parliament Environmental Audit Committee recognised that Social Capital is one the 3 pillars of sustainable development to be considered alongside natural capital and human capital, but that there is a need for better evidence and further in-depth research to better understand social capital.

9. ONS Analysis of Social Capital (1)
January 2015 : First baseline analysis of Social Capital in the UK
Examples of results:
Around 1 in 10 people (11%) in the UK reported feeling lonely all, most, or more than half of the time (Source: European Quality of Life Survey, 2011/12).
A third of parents (32%) in the UK exchanged help (giving and receiving) with at least one of their grown-up children. Parents were more likely to give help than receive it (63% v 42%) (Source: Understanding Society, 2011/12).
Nearly three-quarters (71%) of people in the UK felt people in their neighbourhood are willing to help each other (Source: Understanding Society, 2011/12).
Just over a third (35%) of people in the UK reported that they would say that most people can be trusted (Understanding Society, 2009/10).
The framework of social capital, based on a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2013 and earlier work by the ONS. The framework aims to provide an internationally comparable framework for measuring social capital over time. It is based around four broad aspects of social capital rather than a single definition. These are personal relationships, social network support, civic engagement and trust and cooperative norms. Within this framework, ONS has proposed a set of 25 headline measures for the UK, which cover the four aspects of social capital and supplement the existing information published by the ONS on human and natural capital.
Personal Relationships is concerned with who people know and what they do to establish and maintain their personal relationships.
Social Network Support also includes what people do for other individuals on a personal basis.
Civic engagement includes activities such as volunteering, political participation and other forms of community actions.
Trust and these values are beneficial for society as a whole can determine how much people in a society are willing to cooperate with one another

10. ONS Analysis of Social Capital (2)
July 2015: Inequalities in Social Capital by Age and Sex
Examples of results :
Young people were the least likely to regularly stop and talk to their neighbours: less than half (45%) of those aged 18 to 24 regularly stopped and talked to their neighbours, compared to around 8 in 10 (83%) people aged 65 to 74 ( Source: Understanding Society, 2011/2012).
People aged 75 and over were the least likely to have at least one close friend; 11% of them reported having no close friend at all, compared to 2% of those aged 18 to 24 (Source; Understanding Society, 2011/2012).
Around 1 in 4 women (24%) and in 1 in 5 men (19%) aged 75 and over reported caring for someone sick, disabled or elderly within their household (Source: Understanding Society, 2012/2013).
The framework of social capital, based on a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2013 and earlier work by the ONS. The framework aims to provide an internationally comparable framework for measuring social capital over time. It is based around four broad aspects of social capital rather than a single definition. These are personal relationships, social network support, civic engagement and trust and cooperative norms. Within this framework, ONS has proposed a set of 25 headline measures for the UK, which cover the four aspects of social capital and supplement the existing information published by the ONS on human and natural capital.
Personal Relationships is concerned with who people know and what they do to establish and maintain their personal relationships.
Social Network Support also includes what people do for other individuals on a personal basis.
Civic engagement includes activities such as volunteering, political participation and other forms of community actions.
Trust and these values are beneficial for society as a whole can determine how much people in a society are willing to cooperate with one another

11. Ongoing ONS work on Social Capital
ONS/CO Social Capital steering group; set up in July 2015
ONS Contribution to the OECD Guidelines on the Measurement of Trust
Analysis of Social Capital by Region and Urban/Rural areas : to be published early 2016
Ongoing dialogue with policy makers on use of the data
Social Capital relevant across a range of possible social and welfare policies.
Policy makers can consider how their policies affect the four dimensions of social capital, with a view to minimise negative impact and, if possible, delivering policies in a way that will enhance the dimensions of social capital
The framework of social capital, based on a report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2013 and earlier work by the ONS. The framework aims to provide an internationally comparable framework for measuring social capital over time. It is based around four broad aspects of social capital rather than a single definition. These are personal relationships, social network support, civic engagement and trust and cooperative norms. Within this framework, ONS has proposed a set of 25 headline measures for the UK, which cover the four aspects of social capital and supplement the existing information published by the ONS on human and natural capital.
Personal Relationships is concerned with who people know and what they do to establish and maintain their personal relationships.
Social Network Support also includes what people do for other individuals on a personal basis.
Civic engagement includes activities such as volunteering, political participation and other forms of community actions.
Trust and these values are beneficial for society as a whole can determine how much people in a society are willing to cooperate with one another

12. Other areas currently explored by the ONS
Whether there are any gaps in measurement or other sources the ONS should explore and any suggestions for addressing them .
What are the main gaps in social capital analysis and priorities for analysis. It would be easier to make inferences, look at directions of causality, if all measures were from one source.
Whether an index of social capital (fewer numbers/single number) would be desirable.

13. Thank you for your attention!
For more information, please contact:
Veronique Siegler at:
or Rachel O’Brien at:
All publications are available on: