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Social Capital and the LEADER Approach: A Statistical Method for the Evaluation of Local Action Groups

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Social Capital and Local Development

Abstract

This chapter describes the methodology and statistical foundations adopted for quantifying and qualifying the endowment of social capital in Local Actions Groups of the EU LEADER initiative. Specifically, the chapter presents the proposed evaluation method, including the criteria and techniques used to create, normalise and aggregate indicators into indexes of structural and cognitive-normative social capital and rural governance. Consequently, it specifies the data collection system, the selection of case study areas and the sampling design adopted in the survey carried out across the selected case study areas.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    In statistics, normalisation can have multiple meanings. In simple terms, normalisation of ratings identifies the adjustment of values measured on different scales to a notionally common scale. In more complex cases, normalisation can refer to sophisticated adjustments where the intention is to bring the entire probability distributions of adjusted values into alignment (Dodge, 2003).

  2. 2.

    Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) problems include five components: (i) Goal, (ii) Decision maker or group of decision makers with opinions (preferences), (iii) Decision alternatives, (iv) Evaluation criteria (interests) and (v) Outcomes or consequences associated with alternative/interest combination (Natural Resources Leadership Institute, 2011).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Territorio e Sistemi Agro-Forestali (TESAF), University of Padova, Padova, Italy

    Riccardo Da Re & Catie Burlando

  2. Department of Scienze Statistiche, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

    Maria Castiglioni

Authors
  1. Riccardo Da Re
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  2. Maria Castiglioni
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  3. Catie Burlando
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Correspondence to Riccardo Da Re .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Padova , Legnaro, Italy

    Elena Pisani

  2. University of Padova , Legnaro, Italy

    Giorgio Franceschetti

  3. University of Padova , Legnaro, Italy

    Laura Secco

  4. Athens University of Economics and Business, Athens, Greece

    Asimina Christoforou

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Da Re, R., Castiglioni, M., Burlando, C. (2017). Social Capital and the LEADER Approach: A Statistical Method for the Evaluation of Local Action Groups. In: Pisani, E., Franceschetti, G., Secco, L., Christoforou, A. (eds) Social Capital and Local Development. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54277-5_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54277-5_8

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-54276-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-54277-5

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