Singing Alone? The Contribution of Cultural Capital to Social Cohesion and Sustainable Communities

Abstract

This paper will attempt to make a modest contribution to current debates about the role of culture in fostering cohesive and sustainable communities. It will begin by reviewing why culture is increasingly entering into the discourse on sustainability. It will then define and discuss various types of capital, and their contributions to personal and community well-being. The third section of the paper will briefly examine preliminary evidence in support of the collective benefits of investment in cultural capital. The final section will propose a possible model to explain the linkages between cultural and social capital, social cohesion and sustainable communities.