Building Associations among Cathedral Friends. From Topophilia to Fiat Social Capital?
Anglican cathedrals depend in part on their ‘Friends’ to support ministry and mission and to meet considerable building maintenance costs. Binding together subscribers in their topophilic sentiments, Friends’ charities may rely in turn on social capital to act as a catalyst for generosity. This stud...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brill
2015
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| In: |
Research in the social scientific study of religion
Year: 2015, Volume: 26, Pages: 57-76 |
| Further subjects: | B
Religious sociology
B Social sciences B Religionspsycholigie B Religionswissenschaften B Religion & Gesellschaft B Vergleichende Religionswissenschaft & Religionswissenschaft |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Anglican cathedrals depend in part on their ‘Friends’ to support ministry and mission and to meet considerable building maintenance costs. Binding together subscribers in their topophilic sentiments, Friends’ charities may rely in turn on social capital to act as a catalyst for generosity. This study set out to explore whether topophilia is predictive of social capital among cathedral Friends. It draws on questionnaire data provided by 923 Friends of six English cathedrals. The results of multiple linear regression show that individual Friends’ social capital, measured by a modified version of the Williams Religious Social Capital Index, was predicted by the strength of their bond with the cathedral as place. Additional factors predicting social capital were: sex and education, involvement in other religious groups, social motivation for joining the Friends, and activity therein. The paper concludes by introducing the concept of ‘fiat social capital’ (a resource sponsored by such an organization adopting an instrumental approach). The findings will help Friends organizations to pursue charitable aims more effectively; and they increase knowledge about sources of social capital in cathedrals, a pheno menon investigated thus far in congregations. |
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| Contains: | Enthalten in: Research in the social scientific study of religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/9789004299436_005 |