chapters
social skill
tools used by social entrepreneurs
people implementing actual social change - lit on social entrepreneurship
people who in certain circumstances are capable of changing institutions - Powell, Zucker, Fligstein, McAdam
how? what is it?
one of the resources (Agre) - necessary for building social capital; hasn't yet been studied -> analysis based on interviews and ethnography
formation of network
network as a place where social capital resides
social skill as a tool for building network
what's the substance of relationships that create networks, how are they constructed - strategies for building relationships as social skill
methodology
background / context
historical - transition after '89, "wild capitalism", neoliberalism, Balcerowicz's reforms - "shock therapy"; modernization; joining the UE in 2004 -> access to EU funding, accelaration of modernization; after the decision on EURO to be held in Poland -> projects finalized super-fast -> infrastructure, transport, organizational
fast pace of realizing projects - how and why?
simplification of procedures - Szymon explained it the first interview, but it kept coming up in the later interviews as well; how? -> e.g. faster reactions to correspondence, more dealings over the phone, more informality
common goal - "Polish mobilization", showing off to strangers, "temporary social capital" (Geremek)
specifics of functioning of cities in Poland - independence from central politics after the decentralizing reform in 1998, in all big Polish cities there strong, nonpartisan local authorities, same mayors for many years, tight networks
legacy
social skill as a tool for implementing long-term change - legacy
long-term changes in institutions, so they become better
institutions that are closer to citizens - more democratic
citizens are aware of their existance and of their goals
they know the needs of recipients
they are more available - shorter access path
"they are where they are needed, and not where they have their offices"
more effective and efficient, this way they can serve social change
flatter rather than hierarchical
"the longer the chain of command the more risk that details get lost, each level tends to gloss over when they pass information to their superiors" (fro the interview)
Weber - objections to bureaucracy
what institutions?
volunteering in Gdansk
municipal organizations in Gdansk
"Team for City Management"
Centre for City Management
municipal transport
"municipality" - City Council
NGOs in Gdansk
amateur sport
fan culture