Relation between housing and social capital: case study in Farashganj , Dhaka

Abstract

Housing in Dhaka is manifested in forms and uses differently, some either located in its old parts or defined in formal informal ways. Housing is enmeshed with outdoor public elements like roads, open spaces, availability and quality of services. Dwellers housing experience not only depends on their appropriation of these elements in their daily life but also how these appropriations take place through social interactions. Social capital as a means of enriching dwellers housing experience takes place in the spatial setting of housing. This thesis explores the relationship between social capital and housing for sustainable housing. Social capital as social network contributes to our understanding of social space used in housing. The paper explores the uses of social spaces within a housing by observing and interpreting the social issues as embedded in the interaction with the physical and functional layouts of a neighborhood in a housing. The research problem is constituted by the ways in which the spatial setting found in today’s urban housing in Dhaka are not providing satisfactory result to fulfill the needs and demand of socialization among the inhabitants. This problem leads to the concept of neighborhood’s eroding rapidly and creating various kinds of social problems with poor bondage or no bondage among the people of the housing and an absence of social capital in housing. Lack of social networks or interactions often led to social problems and loss of physical environments in neighborhoods. In this research the major focus is placed on naturally grown housing in Dhaka, the historic kernel of Dhaka—old Dhaka—which still retains some traditional features that it inherited from the past. Farashganj locality at old Dhaka is taken as a case study area to investigate the relation between social capital and housing. The research undertook both qualitative and quantitative methodS to explore the relation between social capital and housing. To conduct the research a multi- method data collection was followed. The objectives of this research for assessing the uses of social spaces for building social capital in the housing are: first, to understand social capital at the case study area Farshganj housing by using Social Capital Assessment Tool (SCAT). Second, to identify social spaces and uses of social spaces at Farshganj housing .Third, to trace the relationship between social capital and housing at Farashganj for sustainable housing through analyzing the first and second objective. A total of thirty households were selected at Farashganj neighborhood through random selection and availability of household heads to identify the role of social space through questionnaire, interview and observation. Social capital was surveyed not only in terms of family’s or Individual’s social status and bondage but also by housing spaces. It appears that family’s or individual’s situation of social status has not confer their bondage and provides sense of security to the families and to the neighborhood and at the same time the unplanned spaces inside and outside of their houses are providing social interaction among the neighbors. The day to day chit chat due to the narrow streets, multiple level open terraces have made regular interaction among the neighbors. Their social bonding does not depend on manmade created social spaces rather spaces related to their day to day life within the housing premise is providing them more opportunity for building social capital. The research concludes that only built up spaces within the domestic realm by themselves cannot make housing sustainable. For a housing to be sustainable common shared spaces for social interaction are equally important. Social spaces built social networks among the inhabitants and social network creates social capital in housing. Presence of social capital across the public private realm makes housing sustainable. Future research on individual elements of social capital and housing, may guide Architects and Planners to go for in-depth explanation for building sustainable housing.