Full Description
The book focuses on some key aspects of social capital in the context of civic participation, governance and civil society at both national and European Union (EU) levels. The role of new EU members is particularly stressed. The texts demonstrate how social capital in the form of cooperative norms and actions facilitates the self-organisation of civil society and its internal ability to articulate policy relevant alternative proposals. The efficiency and responsiveness of governance at different local, national, and transnational levels are also addressed. Besides theoretical reconsiderations, attention is drawn to the issue of the quality of data and greater methodological reflexivity.
