Social Capital and Community Engagement

I would consider myself to be a person with a lot of social capital, but maybe not so much community engagement. It was actually at Church a week or so ago where the speaker started off by saying "the key to a healthy community, is by getting all members involved". He was comparing the small community of a local church, but for a second there I felt like I was back at school!

So I feel there is a difference between community engagement and community participation. Community participation is of course very important and probably consists of talking with the neighbors, attending neighborhood events, and maybe showing up at a meeting. True community engagement would be where people are actually ENGAGED. They aren't just participants, but are actually involved in the running of community events, and would be actively putting out their opinion and view.

Althought there is a big difference between these two, not all people have the time, or personality to be envolved in both of these ways, so I think that they are both important.

The following document entitled: Social Capital and the Built Environment
http://geography.ssc.uwo.ca/faculty/baxter/readings/Leyden_AJPH_walkable_social_capital_2003.pdf

Gives the following criteria for social capital how well residents knew their neighbors, their political participation, their trust or faith in other people, and their social engagement. I think this criteria would encorporate all kinds of people.