Social Capital in Creative Industries: A Case Study of Creative Entrepreneurs in the Alternative Music Scene in Accra

Abstract

The literature on social capital and creative industries in developing country contexts is scarce. This paper aims to contribute to the literature on the use of social capital in creative industries in Africa by exploring how do creative entrepreneurs in the alternative music scene in Accra utilise their social networks to acquire resources? Consequently, three sub-questions will drive the research: (1) what types of networks do creative entrepreneurs use? (2) what resources are accessed by creative entrepreneurs in their networks? And (3) how do creative entrepreneurs use their networks? To answer these questions, this thesis adopts a critical realist perspective where qualitative data is gathered through semi-structured interviews. Interviews were conducted with nine key informants and sixteen creative entrepreneurs during a field trip to Accra in February 2023. Our research and analysis are performed according to our own conceptual framework which builds off literature by Scott & Stokman (2015) and Escandon- Barbosa et al. (2019). The conceptual framework aims to highlight the phenomenon of social capital where networks give access to resources. We argue that this occurs in a certain country and industry context. Our empirical findings show that the weak Ghanian country and industry context leads to a substantial reliance on social capital by creative entrepreneurs. Our findings also introduce three different types of networks that creative entrepreneurs use, namely, personal, personal/professional, and professional. These networks provide varying resources and their nature (information, material or motivational) depends on the strength of ties within the network. Finally, our study reveals that creative entrepreneurs typically use different networks depending on the phase of their entrepreneurial process. Having made clear the important implications of social capital for creative entrepreneurs in the alternative scene in Accra, this thesis offers recommendations on future research to further investigate the role of social networks in Accra. Ultimately, the insights derived from the findings will serve as a foundation to advise actors in the creative scene in Ghana on the practical implications of social capital.