Social Capital and Urban Networks of Trust

Edited by Jouni Häkli, University of Tampere, Finland and Claudio Minca, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK

This is the first book on social capital and trust informed by a critical geographical perspective. The authors examine the role of social capital in the constitution and reproduction of urban networks of trust in different places and contexts. They explore how social capital and trust are reflected in the capacity of these networks to achieve their goals and to deliver specific forms of urban development in a number of Finnish and Italian cities. Finland and Italy present, in many ways, two almost paradigmatic cases of how social capital and trust can work in extremely different and yet very effective ways in the production of the urban. They are two almost ideal laboratories for experimenting new definitions and new understandings of the concepts in question.

I have co-written, with prof. Minca, the chapter about Trieste, drawing from the results of one of the case studies of my PhD Thesis at the University of Naples "L'Orientale". click here to download a pdf version of the chapter.

Contents: Introduction, Jouni Häkli and Claudio Minca; Part 1 Re-Placing Social Capital: Geographies of trust, Jouni Häkli; Searching for social capital, Mauro Cannone; The 'magic and loss' of social capital and local development, Paolo Giaccaria. Part 2 Grounding Networks: Re-scaling Trieste: (not so) invisible networks, (dis)trust and the imaginary landscapes of the Expo 2008, Giuseppe Porcaro and Claudio Minca; Trust in translation: the role of place and vision in building the eTampere programme network, Timo Poutiainen and Joumi Häkli; Networks and trust in Venice: the port as social agent, Stefano Soriani. Part 3 Mobilising Trust: Speaking Triestino: language, practice and social capital in Trieste, Claudio Minca; Boundaries of trust: building a transnational space in Harparanda-Tornio, Jouni Häkli; All that is solid does not melt into air: (re-placing) social capital in Venice's urban development, Mauro Cannone; New and old associations as trusting networks: tracing social capital in Jyväskylä, Martti Siisiäinen; Index

Reviews:
'This critical analysis of trust and social capital in two countries – Finland, epitome of institutionalized formality, and Italy, paragon of the informal – demonstrates how deeply place matters in the formation of community. The scholarship is impeccable; and activists around the world will learn how to build more effective community networks.'
Michael Dear, University of Southern California, USA

'This edited collection on social capital and urban networks of trust opens new horizons in critical geographical research. Besides the useful conceptual introductions by the editors, each chapter includes a richly illustrated local case study that draws on empirical examples from Finland or Italy. This volume can be warmly recommended to social scientists interested in the geographies of social life.'
Anssi Paasi, University of Oulu, Finland

'Social Capital and Urban Networks of Trust provides a rich, detailed and conceptually sophisticated treatment of a vital issue for the future of Europe's cities. Through a series of carefully researched and critical case studies the contributors reveal the complex dynamics through which trust is generated and unevenly distributed in two strikingly different national contexts. This book challenges dominant accounts of social capital and sets out an imaginative alternative approach.'
Joe Painter, Durham University, UK