Today we wrap up the series on the Seven Community Capitals, also known as the Community Capital Framework. It has been a true delight and an immense learning experience co-hosting this series with Bob Riley Jr. Hopefully he’ll agree to co-host another series in the future.
With this final show, we are having a discussion with Cornelia Butler Flora, co-author of Rural Communities: Legacy & Change. It was in this book, written with Jan Flora, that the Seven Community Capitals were initially introduced. Cornelia is the Charles F. Curtis Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University and Research Professor at Kansas State University.
In this series, we took a close look at each of the Seven Capitals – Natural, Social, Financial, Political, Human, Cultural, and Built. In our conversations with leaders from various communities and sectors, it became apparent how essential all the capitals are in forming a strong web of support that leads to resilient, thriving communities
We’ve had many great discussions over the past 12 weeks with civic, business, and elected leaders from multiple communities across Iowa. It is our hope that you’ve gained some useful knowledge on ways to engage and support the community capitals framework in your own community. It was a joy to have Cornelia join us to cap off the series. We hope you listen in.
Key Takeaways:
- The Community Capital Framework is an organizing principle and an applied process that begins with – How do we take the assets that we have and make them even better.
- Cultural Capital is how you see the world; the things you assume
- Political Capital can be captured by just a few people that can make all the rules
- Bonding (everyone understands everyone) and Bridging (links to the outside) are both needed
- It is essential to have a world view when managing all the capitals in order to work with them simultaneously
- We are trained to think linearly when what we really need is to think as a system
- A great tool is Ripple Mapping – if this changes, this is what can happen
- You empower people by letting them participate in the process vs. telling them what to do
- Remember, you make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give
“It is our choices, Harry,
That show us what we truly are,
Far more than our abilities.”
~ J. K. Rowling
“Our mind is enriched
By what we receive,
Our heart by what we give.”
~ Victor Hugo
Thank you for listening to today’s discussion. Let’s continue the conversation and learn from each other.