How to grow your social capital and the benefits of building community

You probably don’t need a study to tell you that building community and social connections can significantly benefit your wellbeing.

(Although, if you do, numerous studies suggest just that!) [1]

However, despite many of us craving more human connection, it can be challenging to know where to start. With busy lifestyles and long working hours, it can be hard to nurture existing relationships, let alone build new ones.

Social connection might be a critical pillar of living our happiest lives, but we seldom prioritise it.

Fortunately, in my recent podcast, I was delighted to get insights from Dr Andrew Leigh about the best ways to build ‘social capital.’ Or, in other words, learn how to grow a network of positive relationships and connections around us.

Andrew is the Assistant Minister for competition, charities and treasury and the Federal Minister for Fenner in the ACT. Before entering politics in 2010, Andrew was a Professor of Economics and holds a PhD in Public Policy from Harvard.

In his latest of eight books, ‘REconnected, a community builder’s handbook,’ which he co-authored with Nick Terrell, Andrew demonstrates practical ways to build a more connected Australia.

Andrew says the book is a love letter to the community leaders who do extraordinary work to try and bring people together, so it’s safe to say he can give us all some excellent advice on increasing our social capital and becoming more involved in our communities.

Why has social capital been on the decline?

Social capital has been on the decline since the 1960s. In Robert Putnam’s book ‘Bowling Alone,’ Putman documented the decline in the civic community from 1960 to 1990.

During this period, we saw a decrease in trust. People became less likely to know their neighbours or be active members of organisations. This period also saw a decline in volunteering and charitable giving, and it’s only been decreasing further over recent decades.

Interestingly, the pandemic created many opportunities to engage within our neighbourhoods as we became more localised due to less travel, and many of us built a more robust community life.

Perhaps it’s not surprising that, as a result, there was an in volunteering, benevolence and kindness to strangers during the pandemic in almost every region, according to the World Happiness Report.

So while we struggle to prioritise social capital in everyday life, this shows that we’re still willing to lean into our community - we just need a powerful nudge to inspire us to take action.

As an economist, Andrew notes that there is no trade-off between a strong economy and a healthy society. Low-trust environments with hundreds of hoops and security checks to jump through are much less efficient than a high-trust environment that only requires a handshake.

There’s no downside to a healthy community, even in our fast-paced, consumerist world. However, you do need to take the time to build trust in relationships and be willing to put in the work for positive change.

Eight easy ways to build your social capital

1. Build social capital by doing activities that serve a second purpose.

If you want to build social capital but are time-poor, looking for activities that serve multiple purposes is a good place to start. For example, if running is already an essential activity for your mental wellness, then why not join a running group?

Some unique initiatives that serve multiple goals in Australia include:

Doing waterway cleanups with Intrepid Landcare - you’ll get fit, meet new people, and clean up waterways simultaneously.
Greening Australia tree planting events - help the environment while making friends (they’ve even done Singles events where you could meet the love of your life while re-planting Australia!)
Take an activity you already do regularly alone and join a club instead - for example, running and swimming clubs.

As you continue reading, you’ll see that most ways to build social capital have a dual purpose by design; when we prioritise community, there are endless other benefits, too.

2. Join a local community organisation.

Leading on from the first point, a great way to dip your toe in the water is to go to a local community organisation and chat with someone you didn’t know beforehand.

Some examples in Australia include:

Swimming groups: the ‘Bold and Beautiful swim group’ in Manly has seen 17000 unique people swim from Manly Beach to Shelley Beach and back over the past 10-15 years.
Join the free activities like a Park Run on Saturday mornings - it’s an ideal way to build social connections while staying fit.
Learn a new skill with organisations like Astro Jorgensen’s Pub Choirs. The initiative encouraged people to learn to sing three-part harmonies and even turned into a Couch Choir during the pandemic.
For people with kids, you could get involved in the kids’ clubs or school activities.
Join a gardening or conservation club.

Community organisations are also a great chance to learn something new, whether it’s a physical activity, practical skills, or baking.

3. Stay in touch with your weak ties.

Did you know that weak ties - a term coined by sociologist Mark Granovetter in the 1970s - can be more influential in helping you find jobs than close friends?

‘Weak ties’ means your acquaintances - they could be the colleagues you chat with while grabbing a coffee at work or meet during quarterly events. And studies show that these weak ties can be influential in many ways.

Whether using online tools like LinkedIn or sticking to an old-fashioned address book, it’s always worth keeping in touch with your weak ties and those on the periphery of your community. You never know when you’ll be able to help each other out, or introduce someone to a useful connection.

TIP: Although cyber-connecting is a handy way to stay in touch, Andrew reminds us to refrain from using online platforms to supplant face-to-face connections. We should use online tools to assist with building and remaining in contact with connections, not replace the ones we already have or face-to-face meetings.

4. Don’t be afraid to make small talk and break the ice!

In an experiment done on a train in Chicago, researchers asked commuters, ‘How happy do you think you’d be if we forced you to chat with the person next to you on the train?’

As you might expect, most people replied, ‘Oh, that’d be terrible!’ But the researchers gave them a small incentive so they’d be encouraged to chat with someone during their commute.

When the commuters were surveyed again at the end of the trip, it turned out that most of them had enjoyed chatting with the person next to them!

The study illustrates that while most of us are reluctant to break the ice, we’re actually really pleased when we make an effort.

Just like building weak ties, small talk has a wealth of benefits. Not only does small talk spread tacit knowledge, whereby we can learn from other people’s personal insights and life experiences, but it helps us feel more connected and gives us a sense of belonging.

When we lose the ability to make small talk, we miss out on the benefits of making connections in life and business. Of course, no one is born with this skill, but it’s definitely a muscle worth exercising.

5. Nurture your strong ties, too.

We’ve already discussed why weak ties are influential, but it’s still important not to mistake them for strong ones. For example, Andrew raises the classic question of how many Facebook friends would attend our birthday or funeral.

While expanding our friendship groups and casual acquaintances is excellent, we also want to be there for those already close to us. It’s essential to have a good group of people around us who will step up during a time of crisis.

Spend some time thinking about how you could nurture your existing relationships. Perhaps you could attend an event, arrange a day trip, or take a class together. Or why not arrange a weekend away with your closest friends?

Sometimes, it’s as simple as sending a message to let your loved ones know you’re thinking of them.

6. Volunteering

Look up your nearest volunteer base to see if there are any volunteer initiatives near you. Opportunities include everything from helping at food banks to getting paired up with an isolated senior and joining them for a cup of tea or going for a run with them.

Andrew also advises any more affluent readers to fine-tune their philanthropy - for example, by carefully selecting charities to donate to and being self-aware about why they're donating. Make sure you’re giving back in order to do good and not to get the approval of others.

For those who are already reasonably connected, one concept that Andrew and Nick emphasise in their book is that the best community organisations reach out to underserved communities, such as new migrants and those in public housing or in parts of Australia where social capital is lowest.

If you can build a community where the needs are greatest, even more people will benefit.

7. Look out for people.

You don’t need to set aside days to volunteer to be an active and valuable community member. In general, we could all benefit from being more aware of those around us; you never know when you might be able to step up.

And, often, an action that’s a minimal inconvenience to us can be a massive help to others. Just think back to a time when someone unexpectedly helped you out and how much it meant to you.

For example, help fix someone’s tire or assist with painting your new neighbour’s fence, take the extra cookies you baked and give them to your elderly neighbour, or ask a single diner to join you for a meal.

And if you are keen to broaden your connections, you never know who will notice your kind acts and either take inspiration or actively want to become part of your social circle.

8. Host an event (or say yes to invitations).

During my conversation with Andrew, he shared a story about how he and his wife stay active within their school and neighbourhood.

For the past decade or so, they’ve hosted Christmas drinks on their street. Each year, they change the date on the previous year’s invitation and letterbox it. In return for this tiny time investment, they get to stay in touch with neighbours and meet anyone new who’s moved in, leading to a street that’s a much friendlier place to live on.

Thankfully, you don’t have to take on the role of host to get involved. However, it’s worth looking out for invitations and opportunities - and saying ‘yes’ when they arise.

Key takeaway: Make community a priority.

Andrew points out that when we reach old age, we won’t still wish we got that extra promotion at work. Instead, we might wish we had invested more time in friendships. And ultimately, that’s what civic connection is designed for.

When we look at the World Happiness Report, countries like Finland always top the list. One purported reason is that they have a robust civil society going.

With so much evidence pointing towards the benefits of social capital, it’s worth taking steps to be a more active community member.

This month, why not prioritise one or two options from the list above? For example, you could sign up for a community event, join a group activity, or help out a neighbour with a task.

Once you start finding opportunities to build community, you realise just how easy it is to reap the benefits. And, best of all, those around you will benefit too.

[1] The Harvard Grant Study, Framingham study and Annual World Happiness Report all show that social connections make an enormous difference to everyday life.

duncan youngMay 8, 2023