Capital framework theory

Things like education, work experience and social skills are summarised by the term "human capital". In RURALIZATION we apply this in a very broad sense to better understand case studies and processes of rural development. Capital is all the "treasures" that local people can draw on to develop their rural areas. These include:

Capital levels for the wheel (5 levels):

• Natural capital: biodiversity, scenic beauty, fertility of soils, cleanliness of water and air
• Human capital: knowledge and skills of the residents
• Social capital: people's social skills, for example social cohesion and solidarity, constructive handling of conflicts
• Cultural capital: identity and self-image, living tradition, cultural diversity, creative club life
• Financial capital: public and private funds or the possibility of obtaining such funds
• Political capital: contacts and relationships with political decision-makers
• Building capital: existing building fabric that can be used as residential and commercial space or for community projects.

These seven types of capital broaden the view of the preconditions and the possibilities of self-determined rural development in a region. Research has shown that a successful development process usually involves several types of capital. The development of one quality of capital often leads to the development of another quality of capital in a mutually reinforcing process.

Embedded in rural areas is the potential for transformative change. Rural areas are full of resources that can support change. Rural society contains people and organisations with different types of skills, for example from their professional expertise to local knowledge. The rural economy contains businesses and entrepreneurs often of many types. More tangible assets such a built heritage, landscape, digital infrastructure and less tangible culture and creativity can also provide sources of rural renewal. Rural areas of course often have critical resource gaps but individual projects and initiatives can also fill in the cracks. Problems are often connected to others and dealing with one rural issue can be the start of addressing another. Transformative change may take time and experience bumps in the road. Tackling the key issues at the heart of rural decline is never simple or easy. However rural communities know the problems they face and need to address. Rural communities can underestimate the potential they hold for innovation and how they have been innovative in the past. Rural innovation can simply be a new, promising approach to tackling a local problem and does not have to be a technical or scientific solution, but a more everyday innovation. Local actions may not seem radical but in hindsight become known as the catalysts of change where synergies emerged to drive an upward spiral.

In contemporary times, knowledge has become something we can think about as gained in the classroom or from books. This is of course an important source of learning. But there is also a wealth of knowledge and skills to learn from doing. We can learn a lot from our experiences and by doing, hands-on, in practice. People that have spent their livelihoods focused on one profession often possess knowledge that cannot be learned more formally. The farmer that has worked the same land for years will understand the capacity of its soil and how this differs between their fields. The artisan that has honed their craft can demonstrate their methods but to truly learn their skilled ways will need closer and longer attention. We can learn from others in the sense of the old idea of master and apprentice. But important learning can also be gained from our closer peers, from understanding their approach and looking at it alongside ours. Spaces, places and time for this kind of learning to happen are also crucial, such as mentoring or peer to peer group exchanges. This can result in bringing together more formally, classroom learned knowledge with life-learned and practiced knowledge. Learning becomes produced and changed by collaboration that is shaped by a mix of different kinds of knowledge.

Local leaders are key to transformative change, but no man, community or project, is an island. Connecting with others is also important to support transformative change. This can unlock resources such as new ideas, funding and even a shoulder to lean on when developing new projects and initiatives. Working as part of networks can also connect with groups unlike ourselves that have particular important perspectives to take into account, such as young people and migrants. There are a range of other players to consider. Government authorities, politicians, stakeholder groups, development organisations and educational institutions are some examples. These players may be local, but also perhaps regional, national and even international, depending on the issues and objectives the community is working to address. There could also be groups in other places already on the road your community is working to get on. They could have valuable experience to shape change in your community. They might even be potential collaborators to work with on cooperative projects and to upscale initiatives.

How to use the wheel

Select for each type of capital the level of resources you consider that are available in your context. Hover your mouse over each type of capital to read what is meant by each one.

The levels are defined subjectively on purpose, since every project has different scopes, and what means “plenty” to one person can be very few to another.

There are six capital levels for the wheel:

• "None" : There is no resources available
• "A little": There are few resources available
• "Some": There are some resources available
• "A lot": There are plenty of resources available
• "Abundant": Resources are abundant
• "Unlimited": There are unlimited resources