LS 5: Social Infrastructure
‘Social infrastructure’ describes the rules, institutions and processes that affect the features of social organisation and impact on levels of social capital. There is a burgeoning literature which attests to the benefits of social capital eg, in improving individual and community well-being, reducing transaction costs by promoting cooperation and reducing reliance on the state. Social Infrastructure also encapsulates the concept of culture eg, the values, shared beliefs, customs, behaviours and identity that underpin the way society works and help shape and define who we are as New Zealanders.
Social infrastructure exists at many levels, including:
• the international environment in which New Zealand operates
• the national environment in which policy is developed
• the local environment in which communities reside, and
• the personal environment in which an individual lives.
New Zealand is seen as having relatively high levels of social capital, but this should not be taken for granted and there is still room for improvement in some areas. It may be that for some key outcomes the government wants to achieve, the lack of social infrastructure is the binding constraint to improvements.
Link to the analyst note can be found here.
Please contribute to the Living Standards Knowledge Hub by adding your research and analysis here | measurement and statistics here.
Research and Analysis |
| Title | Sub-categories | Organisation | Date | Uploaded by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DISCOVERING COMMUNITY POWER: A GUIDE TO MOBILIZING LOCAL ASSETS AND YOUR ORGANIZATION’S CAPACITY | Social connection and governance | Other | 2005 | Graciela Rivera-Munoz |
| Sovereign Wellbeing index for New Zealand | Culture and identity Social connection and governance | Auckland University of Technology (Staff) | Ongoing | Margaret Galt |
| Background Note on Social Infrastructure | Culture and identity Social connection and governance | The Treasury | 2013 | Margaret Galt |
| Mäori: Demographic Dividend for Economic Return | Economy Living conditions Population | NZIER | 2011 | Margaret Galt |
| Building Resilience: Social Capital in Post-Disaster Recovery | Social connection and governance | Other | 2012 | Margaret Galt |
| Euro area imbalances: A matter of culture? | Economy Social connection and governance | Other | 2012 | Margaret Galt |
| Child Well-being in Rich Countries: A comparative overview | Health Living conditions | Other | 2013 | Kristie Carter |
| Maori Electoral Engagement: A review of the existing data | Culture and identity Social connection and governance | Other | 2006 | Margaret Galt |
| Māori Electoral Participation | Culture and identity Social connection and governance | Massey University (Staff) | 2007 | Margaret Galt |
| Closing the gap in a generation: Health equity through action on the social determinants of health | Health Living conditions Social connection and governance Work, knowledge and skills | Other | 2008 | Kristie Carter |
Measurement and Statistics |
| Indicator Name | Data Source | Sub-categories | Frequency | Uploaded by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regional population change | Statistics New Zealand | Population | Ad-hoc | Peter Lee |
| Ethnic diversity | Statistics New Zealand | Population | Ad-hoc | Peter Lee |
| Local content on New Zealand television | Other | Culture and identity | Annually | Peter Lee |
| Number of historic places | Other | Culture and identity | Ad-hoc | Peter Lee |
| Children attending Māori language immersion schools | Ministry of Education | Culture and identity | Annually | Peter Lee |
| Trust in government institutions | State Services Commission | Social connection and governance | One-off | Peter Lee |
| Representation of women in Parliament and local government | Other | Social connection and governance | Ad-hoc | Peter Lee |
| Voter turnout at general and local elections | Other | Social connection and governance | Annually | Peter Lee |
| Impact of fear of crime on quality of life | Ministry of Justice | Living conditions Social connection and governance | One-off | Peter Lee |
| Rate of death from assault | Ministry of Health | Social connection and governance | Annually | Peter Lee |
Return to Research & Analysis | Measurement & Statistics.
Source: Ministry of Health, Statistics NZ
Source: New Zealand Parliamentary Service, Statistics NZ