Social capital of the urban poor in Bangladesh : implications for affordable housing
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the nature and extent of ‘social capital’ of the urban poor
in Bangladesh. Major theories of social capital have been reviewed for a general
understanding of the subject, while a review of other relevant literature has also helped
develop measures of aspects of social capital: social networks, trust and cooperation.
Broader literature on poverty and urban housing in Bangladesh are also reviewed. These
measures have been used in a structured questionnaire survey. Approximately1800
households were interviewed using this questionnaire in a two-stage sample design
process, in which 18 primary sampling units (PSU) were selected from three categories
of cities (one is the capital city, one from the metropolitan cities and one from the
secondary cities). Then 100 households were selected from each of the 18 PSUs,
including 11 ‘poor neighbourhoods’ (informal or ‘slum’ areas)’ and 7 ‘comparator
neighbourhoods’.
The socio-economic and demographic information from the survey responses have been
analysed to understand the profile of the study population. The data on social capital have
been analysed in two stages: (a) using descriptive statistics, and (b) using the Probit/Logit
and structural analytic approaches. In the former case, the analysis looks particularly at
the socio-economic vulnerabilities of the urban poor affecting social capital, as well as
the nature and extent of different kinds of social networks, trust and cooperation. The
Probit/Logit and structural analysis explores the direct and indirect relationships between
various socioeconomic characteristics of urban poor households and individual
behavioural outcomes (trust and cooperation).
The analysis suggests that the nature and extent of social capital of the poor are somewhat
distinctive; the poor groups are more interdependent on their neighbours, so that their
social capital primarily relies on their ties with them. These findings suggest that the
higher level of trust and cooperation among neighbours may address some of the critical
issues in affordable housing and slum redevelopment policies in Bangladesh. This
implication is discussed through a suggested quasi-market approach that may help
achieve financial feasibility of affordable housing supply. The approach may contribute
to the current ‘market enabling’ housing policies of the country as well as providing
pointers to the international development agencies for investment in housing for the urban
poor in Bangladesh or elsewhere.