Jarosław Działek

Cultural heritage in building and enhancing social capital

Purpose – Culture and cultural heritage are usually included in the general discussions on the construction of social capital and its impact on socio‐economic development. Despite that, it seems that there has not been enough in‐depth reflection on the typology and diversity of possible links between heritage and social capital. The purpose of this paper is to focus on an important aspect of heritage impact – its role in creating and enhancing social capital.Design/methodology/approach – The aim of the article is to explain in what ways cultural heritage may constitute a tool, medium or space for enhancing and developing this type of capital. Though the text is mainly of theoretical character, conceptual statements are illustrated with selected cases from Great Britain and Poland, countries which differ significantly with respect to the level of social trust and involvement of residents in non‐governmental organisations, yet both reflect well the broad array of impacts of heritage on social capital.Findin...

IS SOCIAL CAPITAL USEFUL FOR EXPLAINING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN POLISH REGIONS

Abstract The concept of social capital is widely perceived as a promising tool for explaining differences in economic development between countries and regions. According to this theory, weak links (bridging social capital) and social trust in an area favour its better access to other forms of capital, that is, economic and human capital. However, strong links (bonding social capital) may stifle creativity and entrepreneurship. Since the vast majority of research on the impact of social capital on economic development focuses on highly developed Western European countries, it seems particularly interesting to evaluate the usefulness of this approach when applied to post‐communist countries with their different experiences. The objective of this article is to identify the spatial variation of different forms of social capital in regions of Poland and then to test a hypothesis on the impact of this capital on regional economic development. The results demonstrate that despite the existing differences between regions there are no significant relationships between levels of social capital and economic development. This may be explained either by low social capital levels or by the overall degree of Polish economic development.

Impact of Social Capital on Local Communities’ Response to Floods in Southern Poland

Abstract This chapter discusses the relationship between the amount of social capital resources and the local response to floods. It contains selected results of a large study on social attitudes towards natural hazards (floods, storm, and landslides) conducted in Southern Poland. The results focus on the actions taken by the inhabitants of six communities of different sizes threatened by floods. Both individual and collective mitigation behaviors are analyzed. Demographic and social characteristics are used to explain differences in local preparedness. Communities were chosen to represent three historical regions with different levels of bonding and bridging social capital. The results indicate the importance of strong ties (bonding social capital) in local flood preparedness and participatory risk management. Weak ties (bridging social capital) seem to be less useful, although their strengthening is necessary in areas with high migratory flows. We conclude that local risk assessment calls for better knowledge and understanding of local network capacities and their possible use in local flood risk governance strategies.

Powódź błyskawiczna jako zdarzenie przyrodnicze i społeczne na przykładzie powodzi w Wojcieszowie 5 lipca 2012 roku

Powodź blyskawiczna jako zdarzenie przyrodnicze i spoleczne na przykladzie powodzi w Wojcieszowie 5 lipca 2012 roku

Theorising Artists as Actors of Urban Change

This chapter provides a conceptual and theoretical background and ‘sets the scene’ for other chapters in the book. It discusses key terms and ideas recurring in the volume, such as the concept of an artist, as well as the inclusion of artistic professions in broader professional categories. Simultaneously, it aims to offer a comprehensive review of existing literature on the impact of artists on urban transformations, and inquires into the visibility of artists in the discourse on urban development as well as their (often stereotypically defined) roles in the processes of urban change, in particular in the context of contemporary challenges faced by cities in Europe.

Do Artists Need Artistic Quarters? Spatial Preferences and Choices of Artists in Krakow

The interest in artistic quarters displayed by contemporary academics and policy makers is a reflection of ongoing changes in the perception of the position and roles of artists and of transformations underway in cities and urban economies. Although such areas might be intuitively identifiable in most large urban centres, it is hard to provide a straightforward answer to the question of whether the objective, diverse expressions of presence and activities of artists visible in urban space are of decisive importance to the existence of such quarters or whether the subjective perception of some urban areas as being linked with artists plays a greater role. In this chapter an attempt is made to place artistic quarters in the context of broader and more complex configurations of places linked with artists, such as places of residence, artistic creation, exhibition and performance, socializing, networking and inspiration. We are interested in particular in seeing whether in selecting places for such activities artists indeed base their spatial choices to a significant extent on the existence and availability of features and amenities perceived as desired by and characteristic of bohemians. In conclusion, the ambiguous and contradictory attitudes of artists towards clusters of artists’ presence and areas dubbed as artistic quarters are discussed. Findings from a study of artists’ spatial preferences in a major Polish city are analysed from a general perspective but also in light of the particular urban context and specificity of post-socialist cities in Central and Eastern Europe.