The concept of social capital, ‘social networks, the reciprocities that arise from them and the value of these for achieving mutual goals’ (Schuller et al, 2000, p1), has been identified as having significant potential for reducing disadvantage, improving educational outcomes and enhancing health and wellbeing (Cohen et al, 1997; Uslaner and Dekker, 2001). Furthermore, as Bjarnason (2008) notes, social capital shapes families and parental roles. Social capital has been identified as having a significant role in relation to diversity. Lauglo (2000), for example, argues that the social capital can help to explain how immigrant youth adapt to school and can possibly work to alleviate disadvantage rather than to reinforce it. This compensatory aspect of social capital in education has also been highlighted by Coleman (1988), while several researchers have attested to the significance of developing extensive weak ties across ethnically diverse groups in reducing conflict and promoting democracy (Blomkvist, 2001; Granovetter, 1973; Varshney, 2001). There have been few attempts so far, however, to consider the relationship between social capital and outcomes for disabled people (Pavey, 2006; De Silva, 2007; Potts, 2005). There is a difficulty with operationalising social capital and even the concept itself has been considered under-theorised (Schuller et al, 2000). The Schools and Social Capital Network, within the Applied Educational Research Scheme in Scotland (http://www.aers.org.uk) is concerned with (1) defining and measuring social capital, (2) exploring its relevance to teachers and other professionals and (3) building social capital among learners. The Network, and the Programme as a whole, is also concerned with building research capacity. A series of case studies is currently being undertaken in relation to the third aim of building social capital among learners and these involve a range of formal and informal settings, including young carers, participants in a youth work, a ‘get ready for work scheme’, transition from primary to secondary, families, an ‘Inclusive Learning Network’ of teachers and parents, asylum seekers, independent schools and working with diversity in two different contexts (Hong Kong and a Scottish primary school). The framework of social capital, which guided the conduct of the case studies and their subsequent analysis, has been developed in the first strand of the Schools and Social Capital Network’s activities (Catts and Ozga, 2005; McGonigal et al, 2006) and the case studies have enabled us to make a more informed critique of the value of social capital within formal and informal learning contexts.

The methodology across each of the case studies was qualitative and involved semi-structured interviews, observation and the analysis of websites. Innovative methods, involving visual tools, mapping and network analysis were used in the case studies of the Inclusive Learning Network and the transition from primary to secondary. Analysis of data has been undertaken both within and across each of the case studies.

This paper reports on the emerging themes which traverse the diverse formal and informal contexts of the case studies. These concern theoretical, and methodological and substantive aspects and include: • The adequacy of social capital as a theory to encompass formal and informal contexts and explain complex social connections, and their changes over time. • The fragility of social capital and the transferability of networking outcomes to different contexts. • The significance of space, and of the particular opportunities which spaces such as the Inclusive Learning Network provide for its members. • Identifying ‘key’ individuals who foster social capital among groups and understanding the nature of their skills. • Access to social capital among those who begin with more or less and barriers to accessing social capital. • Transition points and the function of social capital. • The process of researching social capital and the use of social capital both as a resource for accessing participants and the subject of enquiry; analysing the findings and presenting these in ways that are meaningful to the communities being researched. The presenters will seek to stimulate a European-wide dialogue about the nature of social capital and its effects and the possibilities of building social capital in different contexts.