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Long-Term Impact of Closing Rural Schools on Local Social Capital: A Multiple-Case Study from Poland

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  • Kłoczko-Gajewska Anna

    (Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW,Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787, Warsaw, Poland)

Abstract

In many European countries, for both demographic and financial reasons, small schools are being closed. A rural school is one of the few public places which enables formal and informal meetings of community residents. When it is closed, social activity changes. This paper presents a multiple-case study of four Polish villages which in the year 2000 organized protests against school closures; two schools were saved and two were closed. Semi-structured interviews with local leaders and office workers were conducted in 2004 and 2016. The study shows that the decline of structural social capital was significantly smaller in those villages where the school was saved. In the village in which the building of the school did not serve the local population due to the decision of the authorities, a significant and long-term decline in both structural and cognitive social capital was observed. That means that local authorities may contribute to the degradation of the local social capital.

Suggested Citation

  • Kłoczko-Gajewska Anna, 2020. "Long-Term Impact of Closing Rural Schools on Local Social Capital: A Multiple-Case Study from Poland," European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 12(4), pages 598-617, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:eurcou:v:12:y:2020:i:4:p:598-617:n:8
    DOI: 10.2478/euco-2020-0031
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gunnar L.H Svendsen & Gert T. Svendsen, 2004. "The Creation and Destruction of Social Capital," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3276.
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    3. Sjoerd Beugelsdijk & Sjak Smulders, 2003. "Bridging and Bonding Social Capital: which type is good for economic growth?," ERSA conference papers ersa03p517, European Regional Science Association.
    4. Productivity Commission, 2003. "Social capital: reviewing the concept and its policy implications," Public Economics 0307001, University Library of Munich, Germany.
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