Social capital

Social capital is a socio-economic concept with a variety of inter-related definitions, based on the value of social networks.

Form of capital

The term "capital" is used by analogy with other forms of economic capital, as social capital is argued to have similar (although less measurable) benefits. The analogy with capital is however misleading to the extent that, unlike traditional forms of capital, social capital is not depleted by use, but in fact depleted by non-use ("use it or lose it"). In this respect it is similar to the now well-established economic concept of human capital.

Related Topics:
Capital - Human capital

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bonding and bridging

In his pioneering study, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (Simon & Schuster 2000), Harvard political scientist Robert D. Putnam wrote: "Henry Ward Beecher?s advice a century ago to ?multiply picnics? is not entirely ridiculous today. We should do this, ironically, not because it will be good for America ? though it will be ? but because it will be good for us."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Putnam speaks of two main components of the concept: bonding social capital and bridging social capital. The former refering to the value assigned to social networks between homogenous groups of people and the latter to that of social networks between socially heterogeneous groups. Typical examples are that criminal gangs create bonding social capital, while choirs and bowling clubs (hence the title, as Putnam lamented their decline) create bridging social capital. Bridging social capital is argued to have a host of other benefits for societies, governments, individuals, and communities; Putnam likes to note that joining an organization cuts in half an individual's chance of dying within the next year.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The distinction is useful in highlighting how social capital may not always be beneficial for society as a whole (though it is always an asset for those individuals and groups involved). Horizontal networks of individual citizens and groups that enhance community productivity and cohesion are said to be positive social capital assets whereas self-serving exclusive gangs and hierarchical patronage systems that operate at cross purposes to societal interests can be thought of as negative social capital burdens on society.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The concept of social capital in a Chinese social context has been closely linked with the concept of guanxi.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~