Inside and out: a critical analysis of social capital

Abstract

Divergent narratives from a former coal-mining ‘community’ in the North East of England are analysed using Bourdieu's conceptualisation of social capital. Thirty-three research participants (20 females; 13 males) took part in 15 semi-structured interviews and three focus groups over a six-month period (May and October 2011). The research findings showed that social capital can be simultaneously inclusive and exclusive for different demographics depending on age, gender, how long they have lived in the area and their (lack of) connection to the former coal-mining community. Social, spatial and temporal processes are important in making sense of these findings.