A 'glass half-empty' island?
WHEN someone raises the concept of social capital, it doesn’t take much to understand the concept. In short, that’s Guernsey, isn’t it?
A strong sense of community spirit and collective responsibility, where people tend to look out for each other and want the best for the island? The biggest surprise is that only about 83% of respondents to a survey agreed with that statement.
Among other questions that were asked: Are we helpful? Do we have a good range of groups and activities with a high level of participation? And a strong social fabric?
Most of us would think so. But what about the lack of free or low-cost spaces for social interactions if the weather is bad? How good are we at adapting to the challenges we face?
Do we recognise segregation and social divides?
And how much are we dragged down by our negative perceptions about government? Is our government dragging us down? Or are we dragging down the people who are brave and foolhardy enough to stand?
There are perhaps surprisingly many in our community who would be prepared to say that Guernsey can feel like a ‘glass half-empty place to live’.
Are we in need of dragging up by our bootstraps? Or as was argued, can we move the island from being a ‘really good place to live’ to an ‘absolutely fantastic place to live’?