Social capital, museums, learning and social integration in Europe museums and learning as tools for fostering social cohesion, identity, trust, and social capital

Abstract

Foreigners and other community members can be seen as assets, a source of capital. Social cohesion is determinative to a society evolving into a successful union rather than a mere sum of individual interests. Developing common interests will encourage people to expand their networks and communities. Belonging, or the perception thereof, implies that members consider the benefits of other group members in their utility function. Trust is rooted in the expectation of receiving benefits from other group members or society at large. Reciprocity is closely tied to trust and serves as a potent adhesive for fostering social capital. Social capital is critical for nurturing trust, democracy, and, consequently, well-being and economic development within a society. In this chapter, we propose museums and learning as tools for fostering social cohesion, identity, trust, and social capital. We argue that museums serve as social gathering places within a new paradigm for lifelong learning, emphasising the social aspects of learning and positioning museums as learning organisations that contribute to societal development beyond their physical walls. Therefore, we contend that museums play a significant role in building social capital and promoting social integration.