MAHALLA SOCIAL CAPITAL AS A RESOURCE FOR THE SOCIALIZATION OF GENERATIONS Z AND ALPHA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/Keywords:
mahalla, social capital, Generation Z, Generation Alpha, socialization, civic development, youth participation, community-based education, intergenerational learning, social responsibility.Abstract
This article examines the social capital of the Uzbek mahalla as a socio-pedagogical resource for the socialization, civic development, and value formation of Generations Z and Alpha. The study is grounded in the classical theories of social capital developed by Pierre Bourdieu, James Coleman, and Robert Putnam and integrates contemporary research on youth socialization, social and emotional skills, community participation, and the educational characteristics of digitally immersed generations. The article conceptualizes the mahalla not only as a territorial unit or a mechanism of local self-government, but also as a community-based educational environment in which trust, reciprocity, intergenerational interaction, informal mentoring, collective participation, and institutional connections can be converted into developmental resources for young people. A conceptual Mahalla Social Capital Conversion Model is proposed. The model distinguishes bonding, bridging, and linking social capital and explains how they may contribute to belonging, empathy, cooperation, leadership, responsibility, civic agency, and resilience.
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