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Making connections in a regional city: social capital and the primary social contract

journal contribution
posted on 2013-01-01, 00:00 authored by Sue Kilpatrick, Louise JohnsonLouise Johnson, Tanya KingTanya King, Ruth Jackson, Santosh JatranaSantosh Jatrana
Government policy in many countries encourages migration to regional centres to relieve pressure on major cities and to boost economic development. Migrants are more likely to remain in a new location if they have meaningful work and establish social connections there. This article explores how organisations and groups in a regional city provide newcomers with access to social capital resources which migrants can use to forge social connections. Past research has shown that migrants require a mix of linking, bridging and bonding social capital to form an effective primary social contract with their new home. This research suggests that regional cities – such as Geelong, Victoria – which are proactive in assembling diverse social capital resources and making them accessible to migrants, are more likely not only to receive more newcomers but also more likely to retain migrants and a skilled workforce. The findings have relevance to other regional centres.

History

Journal

Journal of sociology

Season

In press

Pagination

1 - 14

Publisher

Sage Publications

Location

Thousand Oaks, California

ISSN

1440-7833

eISSN

1741-2978

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2013, Sage Publications