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AnnaMempel-Śnieżyk
Non-governmentalorganizations’activitiesfocuson:buildingrelationships
withinthelocalcommunity,identifyinglocallyimportantissuesorproblemsand
mobilizinginhabitantsaroundthem.Theyalsofocusoncreatinganinstitutionalbase
forsolvingtheseproblemsandactivitiesleadingtoundertakingco-operationamong
differentlocalactors.Theycontributetocreatinglocalcoalitions,andparticularly
toinitiatingaconsensuswiththeauthorities.[Lewenstein2001,pp.105-115,after
Skrzypiec2012].
Theliteratureconcerninglocaldevelopmentbroadlydescribestherole
ofactivitiesundertakenbyinhabitants.Theseactivitiesareperceivedasnon-
institutionalizedinitiatives,whichappearindependentlyoflocalauthoritiesandthus
enjoytherecognitionoflocalcommunities[Sikora2004,p.106].Localdevelopment
isconnectedwithlocalcommunities,asitisaconsciouslyorientedandorganized
processofsocialchangesoccurringwiththeparticipationofthesecommunities.The
guidingprincipleoflocaldevelopmentis:“localjobsforthelocalcommunityusing
localresources”[Birkhölzer2006,p.30].
Localcommunitiesareoftendescribedintheliteratureasentrepreneurialbecause
theycanorganizethemselvesinsituationsrequiringrapidreaction,caninitiate
actionandinspirelocalauthoritiestomakedecisionsandsolveproblems.Onthe
onehand,theyinspirethemselvestotakeaction,andontheother,theycanoperate
onthebasisoftheincentivesofotherentities.“Entrepreneuriallocalcommunities
arethebasisfordevelopingbusinessclimateinagivenlocalcommunity[…].Local
communitiesreflectrecognizedprinciplesandvalueswhicharerootedinthefamily,
school,education,beliefs,religion,work,etc.Thelocalcommunityisagroupof
entitieswhichareabletoworktogethertowardsanidea,asolutiontotheproblemof
particularentity.Thesegroupsareabletotakefateintotheirownhands,theywant
toseekandtakeadvantageofopportunitiesandpossibilitiesinaninnovativeway”
[Ochojski2001,p.47].
Inviewoftheabove,onecanrefertotheconceptofsocialcapital.Theexistence
ofstronglocalcommunitytiesisdeterminedbysocialcapital.Itshapesvariousforms
oflocallifeinagroupbasedonthesimilarityofthesituationandtheconditions,
aswellasthesimilarityofthenormsandvaluestheyrecognize.Socialcapitalis
thebaseforthetraditionalsystemofcontrolofinformalbehaviorofitsmembers.
Itisalsosignificantforpublicopinionshapingandinorganizingculturalactivities
[Sikora2004,pp.87-89].
Onalocalscale,theimportanceofsocialcapitalismanifestedbythefactthat
peopleinvestintherelationshipswithothersbecausetheyexpectareturnonthis
investment.Thisinvestmentwilladditionallytransferintomarketvalues.Therefore,
thepotentialcreatedinsocialnetworksbecomesaninvestment[Lin2001,p.3].
