Hiroo Harada

Bio: Hiroo Harada is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Social capital & Social reproduction. The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 4 publications receiving 12 citations.

Social Capital from the Viewpoint of Policy : An Essay

Abstract: terms. As is often the case with such new concepts, there is often confusion concerning the use of this term. There are big differences in the meaning depending on who uses this term1, perhaps because social capital is a convenient or appealing concept. Some people believe that a clearly defined concept should be established to bring order to this confusion. Social capital should then be used only within this context. To end the confusion, Lin (2001) and others want to reconstruct the concept of capital, a process that also includes taking into account the concept of human capital. Going back to the principles of Adam Smith and Karl Marx, they want to separate the concept of social capital from the concept of the flow and stock of capital. Looking back at the events leading up to the emergence of the social capital concept reveals useful insights. I believe that the appearance of this concept is more the result of an inevitable understanding of the current situation than the result of the pursuit of a precise definition by using social analysis.

The role of government in East Asian economic development : comparative institutional analysis

Abstract: The role of government in East Asian economic development has been a continuous issue. Two competing views have shaped enquiries into the source of the rapid growth high-performing Asian economies and attempts to derive a general lesson for other developing economies: the market-friendly view, according to which government intervenes little in the market, and the developmental state view, in which it governs the market. What these views share in common is a conception of market and government as alternative mechanisms for resource allocation. They are distinct only in their judgement of the extent to which market failures have been, and ought to be, remedied by direct government intervention. This collection of essays suggests a breakthrough, third view: the market-enhancing view. Instead of viewing government and the market as mutually exclusive substitutes, it examines the capacity of government policy to facilitate or complement private sector co-ordination. The book starts from the premise that private sector institutions have important comparative advantages over government, in particular in their ability to process information available on site. At the same time, it recognizes that the capabilities of the private sector are more limited in developing economies. The market-enhancing view thus stresses the mechanisms whereby government policy is directed at improving the ability of the private sector to solve co-ordination problems and overcome other market imperfections. In presenting the market-enhancing view, the book recognizes the wide diversity of the roles of government across various East Asian economies-including Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and China-and its path-dependant and developmental stage nature.

Social capital's role in recovery: evidence from communities affected by the 2010 Pakistan floods.

Abstract: Pakistan suffered large-scale flooding in summer 2010 that caused damage amounting to approximately USD 43 billion, claimed the lives of at least 1,700 people, and negatively affected some 20 million others. Observers have debated the degree to which social capital plays a role in recovery after a catastrophe of this magnitude. Using new survey data on 450 residents impacted by the disaster, this study found that, controlling for various confounding factors, the social capital levels of victims serve as robust correlates of life recovery. Other important variables connected with recovery include education and income, family size, occupation, material damage suffered, stability of home, and trauma experience. The findings point to a number of relevant policy recommendations, most notably that during and following major shocks, disaster managers should work to keep the social networks of victims intact so that they can benefit from interaction with family, friends, and neighbours.