| Social capital, trust, and community benefits in the Kaskaskia River watershed in Illinois were explored. Specific study objectives were: (1) describe components of social capital involving the Corps and local communities in the watershed, (2) identify meanings of trust present within community stakeholders toward the Corps, as well as variables that influence trust, and (3) explain the impacts, in the form of community benefits, social capital development and use has had on natural resource management and local communities.; The research problem of limited understanding regarding social capital in the natural resources context was addressed. Managers and researchers alike desire a better understanding of the components of social capital, particularly trust, and the outcomes of social capital use, which may include community benefits. They want this understanding to assist collaborative management, civic engagement, and benefit opportunity production.; The research design elicited rich, thick descriptions of the context. A qualitative, semi-structured interview format was used with 41 participants composed of community members and Corps agency personnel. Data analysis followed recommended qualitative analysis procedures. Major themes were identified through the open coding of each individual interview transcript. The codes were organized into topic and subtopic categories. Steps were taken to ensure the validity and reliability of the research.; Study findings revealed that: (1) an intertwining reliance between the Corps and community has developed, (2) a connected network of water resources management players has developed, (3) the goal of community goals has become a common and shared focus among those in the watershed, (4) local community member trust in the Corps is a complex and multi-dimensional key to understanding the social capital context, (5) variables that influence trust exist at multiple structural levels---individual, community, and agency levels, (6) social capital creation and use for water resources management are evident, (7) benefits to individuals, communities, and economies are associated with social capital use and creation by community members, and (8) the Corps is integral to social capital and its positive benefits in the Kaskaskia River watershed. Finalized conceptual models of the dimensions with and relationships between social capital, trust, and community benefits were developed. |
