In order to examine how the social benefits of internet access and use can be understood and harnessed in Australia, this paper explores the implications of adding two concepts to policy deliberations: social inclusion and social capital. Digital divide policies have been historically rooted within the information society / knowledge economy credo and as such...

A report which explores the use of social capital theory in understanding educational advantage/disadvantage from a public policy development perspective.

This short paper from the 2007 Australian Social Policy Conference looks at the extent of the spread of the notion of 'social capital', and investigates a number of the reasons given in the literature for its popularity. It concludes by suggesting that the question of why 'social capital' continues to prevail, despite its dubious epistemological...

This NCVER study investigated whether adult literacy and numeracy courses produced social capital outcomes, which are changes in students' connections with networks of people. The study's authors, Jo Balatti, Stephen Black, Ian Falk, found that 80% of the students in the study experienced social capital outcomes and that these, in turn, influenced the socio-economic well-being...

Drawing together the currently available information on social interactions from the 2002 General Social Survey and other ABS surveys, this compendium presents topics relating to selected elements of the ABS Social Capital Framework. Geographic and structural features of the Australian population set the scene, with further topics on feelings of safety, reciprocity and aspects of...