Social capital & cohesion

Social capital – the networks of relationships between people who live and work in a society – enable that society to function more effectively, strengthening cohesion and increasing prosperity. Governments have a strong incentive to foster it.

At BIT, we are pioneers in exploring this complex topic. Our work has included mixed methods research involving vast amounts of social media data to determine how interpersonal connections affect the opportunities people have in their lives. We’ve also run much smaller individual trials that foster community, connection and cohesion at the local level. We use this evidence to shape practical policies that governments can use to increase their citizens’ social capital – and the positive outcomes that come with it.