179.5
Inequalities in Social Capital and Socio-Economic Status in the Post-Industrial Cities of Central and Eastern Europe
Paweł Starosta
Kamil Brzeziński
Institute of Sociology
University of Lodz, Poland
Inequalities in Social Capital and Socio-Economic Status in the Post-industrial Cities of Central and Eastern Europe
Abstract
for joint session of RC03 and RC09
Development and Inequalities in Post-Socialist Countries: Comparative Perspectives
The main purpose of the paper is to explain some differentiations in the levels of social capital and socio-economic status between the inhabitants of post-industrial cities in Central and Eastern Europe .
In accordance with the sociological literature, two components of social capital will be considered: trust and social networks. Socio-economic status will be analyzed by level of education, monthly income, and job situation.
The main thesis of the paper is the assumption that in the post-industrial cities of Central and Eastern Europe access to social capital is not highly associated with the socio-economic status of inhabitants.
The empirical basis for the paper is a database from surveys carried out in selected post-industrial cities of Poland, Russia, Hungary and Lithuania. In each of the above countries one city was selected in order to conduct a survey of representative samples of inhabitants between the ages of eighteen and seventy.
The empirical investigation was carried out in the year 2012 with the financial support of National Centre of Science in Poland.