Degree Name

MS in Management

First Advisor

Sora Friedman

Abstract

What is the effect of social capital on community development projects in Ukraine? Ukraine is a nation still struggling with the transition from communism to democracy. Most Ukrainians feel they have gained nothing from the transition and the population feels mostly disempowered. Preliminary studies of social capital in Ukraine show low levels of social capital throughout the population. The Youth Community Action Network (Youth CAN) is a national NGO focused on developing civic participation of young Ukrainian professionals and youth. Does social capital influence the success of Youth CAN participants when implementing their community development projects? To examine the effects of social capital on participants' projects, the Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey - Short Form was adapted for this research. Additional questions were added to the survey specific to participants' experience. The survey was administered online. The research discovered that higher levels of social capital are strongly correlated with successful project implementation. More specifically, sub-dimensions of social capital were measured to determine exactly what types of social capital were present in the participants. Civic participation, a sub-dimension of social capital, was most present and correlated strongly with participants successes of community project implementation. The conclusion suggests that in future selection of Youth CAN participants, particular attention should be paid to choosing individuals with high levels of social capital in civic participation and community connectedness.

Disciplines

Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

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