"Social Capital" is a concept that has been around for decades, but the phrase was actually coined and popularized by economist She-ro Jane Jacobs in her 1961 book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Although it has been resurrected in Robert Putnam's recent Bowling Alone, Jacobs originally used "Social Capital" to describe the deep value of diverse urban neighborhoods.
We use "Social Capital" to identify both the DIVERSITY within your community and your citizens' levels of ENGAGEMENT. Social Capital is an important metric to young talent for several reasons:
- 60.6 percent of Gen X'ers (b. 1961-1981) have some training beyond high school. MBA programs today look more like the United Nations than Leave it to Beaver. For an increasing number of educated Americans, diversity – of cultures, ethnicities and thinking – is a valuable part of community life.
- While Gen X'ers were once cast as politically apathetic, they are waking up to politics. A recent poll we conducted showed that 67% of Gen X'ers are either interested or very interested in the next presidential election. The Millennials (b. 1982-2001) show even more finely tuned social consciences. Taken together, young talent value neighborhoods where they can be socially, professionally, and politically active in community life on a larger scale.
For an article on how to engage young talent in your community ("How Do I Involve Young Talent?"), click here: http://www.hotjobs-coolcommunities.com/news/articles/article.cfm?ArticleID=144
For a primer on Next Generation Communities with high scores in the social capital index, visit large University towns like Madison, WI or San Diego, CA. Here, the universities' presence brings both diversity - of professors and students – and a heightened sense of community activism.
To learn how your community scores in the seven indexes, info@nextgenerationconsulting.com
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