The Institute of Policy Studies (Wellington) sponsored two workshops on aspects of social capital and published two volumes of the presented papers. Papers from the first workshop were published as Social Capital and Policy Development (Robinson 1997).This title contains papers presented at the August 1998 workshop, which concentrated on community case studies and practical understandings of social capital. See also an excellent discussion of both titles and on social capital as a whole by Raewyn Good in Social Policy Journal of New Zealand (No. 14, July 2000), http://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/journals-and-magazines/social-policy-journal/spj14/social-capital-and-policy-development.html Retain - Level 3.

This New Zealand-based book presents six papers providing a community perspective on social capital. The papers were first presented at a workshop on social capital held 1998. Although all of the papers will be of interest to those working in the community and voluntary sector, the papers discussing the operation of and issues for the Plunket Society and the Maori Women's Welfare League will be of particular interest to those working against family violence. Other papers cover the Tu Tangata programme (the community and schools), community input to city council planning, development of the Porirua health partnership, and issues for rural families and communities. Key themes in the papers are about having the space to engage with issues such as those discussed in the book and to undertake policy development, and having the resources to put existing social capital to work; relationships and networking between community groups; developing open and democratic forms of association and having genuine communication.

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