Social Capital for Enhancing Family and Community Networks of Remittance-Receiving Households in Northern Bangladesh

Abstract

Social capital is related to enhancing family and community networks. It promotes wellbeing to the remittance-receiving households. This study investigates how three types of social capital (bonding, bridging, and linking) contribute to improving family and community networks. Both quantitative and qualitative (mixed-methods) approaches were used in this study. For quantitative data, interview schedules with a structured questionnaire were conducted among 400 respondents (the dependent heads of the migrant worker’s families) covered four districts from two divisions of northern Bangladesh. For qualitative data, 18 key informants and 9 in-depth interviews were conducted among experts, community leaders, former migrant workers and academicians in the field of migration. Individuals can maintain family and community related communication through applying these three types of social capital on offer. Here, bridging and linking social capital instrumentally help to reconnect people by accomplishing humanitarian actions and fulfilling social needs in community. As mitigating social problems alongside the economic needs of the community people, social capital facilitates to increasing social engagement and cooperation. With the help of bonding social capital in decision-making process, migrant workers and their left-behind family can overcome family related challenges particularly. In the same time, it offers them to preserving psycho-social integrity and wellbeing by increasing family and community networks. As community resilience during post-migration, social capital applies to mitigate socio-economic and cultural threats of Remittance-Receiving Households in Northern Bangladesh. And bridging social capital enhances ‘Social Network’ in community settings. Therefore, the application of these social capitals works for the improvement of the family and community networks of the left-behind households of northern Bangladesh.